Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov was born in Saint Petersburg on July 16, 1806, the son of Andrey Ivanov, an art professor. At a young age he showed a remarkable talent for painting. At just eleven years of age, he entered the Imperial Academy of Arts and studied under the guidance of his father and Karl Bryullov. Thanks to his outstanding achievements, he was awarded several times, including two silver medals and a gold medal in 1824 for his painting "Priam asks Achilles to return Hector's body".

The appreciation of his abilities led his patrons to decide to send him abroad to continue his art studies. However, before he left, they demanded another painting from him. Thus, the painting "Bellerophon is sent on a campaign against the Chimera" was created. In 1830 Ivanov left Russia and traveled first to Germany and then to Italy. During his first years in Rome, Ivanov copied the "Creation of Adam" in the Sistine Chapel and made sketches for biblical scenes. He dreamed of creating an epic painting of the Messiah coming to mankind. First, however, he decided to try his skills on a smaller painting. Between 1834 and 1835, he completed "Apparition of Jesus Christ to Mary Magdalene." The painting was a great success both in Rome and in Saint Petersburg. The Russian Imperial Academy of Arts awarded Ivanov the honorary title of Academician in 1836. Ivanov spent most of his life in Rome, where he became friends with Gogol and was influenced by the Nazarenes. There he worked for twenty years, from 1837 to 1857, on his greatest masterpiece, "The Appearance of Christ to the People."

On July 3, 1858, Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov died of cholera. He was buried in the Novodevichy cemetery in Saint Petersburg. In 1936 his remains, together with the monument, were moved to the Tikhvin Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery. The critical judgment of Ivanov improved in the following generations. Some of the numerous sketches he had made for "The Appearance of Christ to the People" were recognized as masterpieces in their own right. The most comprehensive collection of his works can be seen in the Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg.