World War II finally ended. Ivan survived the early post-war years by painting people’s portraits, farms and homes. Many times he would do the work first and then show it to the property owners. He would trade the paintings for food. Later, he took work as a mason to supplement his income and he furiously continued to paint.
Ivan’s big break came between August 14-19, 1948, when his oil painting, “Salzburg”, was exhibited in the very first and largest art exhibit of it’s kind following World Word II. Hundreds of paintings were shown at this Grosse Austellung.
The directors of the exhibit admired his work so much that they featured it prominently in the vestibule. As his art work started to be recognized, photographic reproductions were also made and sold to tourists as postcards.
In the winter of 1948, Ivan decided to advertise for a model in the Salzburg newspapers. These ads brought Maria Schneider with her two daughters, Lili and Lana, to his studio. During the ensuing months, Ivan became enamored with Lili’s beauty.
On April 6, 1949, just two and a half months before his 31st birthday, an old world, arranged marriage took place. Ivan married Lili who was just sixteen years of age.
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