He was enrolled in the elementary courses at the Imperial Academy of Arts in 1782, and later studied with Grigory Ugryumov[1] and Gabriel François Doyen, graduating in 1797.

In 1812 he was appointed a Professor[2] for his painting of Prince Mstislav the Brave and the defeat of Rededya.

His painting "The Death of General Kulnev" angered Tsar Nicholas I when it was exhibited in 1830,[2] apparently because it portrayed a controversial (and almost certainly apocryphal) moment from the incident; Kulnev's order to his allied officers to remove their insignia so the enemy wouldn't know that the Russian army was without a commander.

[2] A few years later, when Karl Bryullov returned to Russia and was presented with a laurel wreath, he took it off his head and placed it on Ivanov's instead, as a sign of respect and appreciation.

[citation needed] Despite his forced retirement, Ivanov remained active as a painter and member of several artistic societies.