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Etchmiadzin |
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The monastery of St. Etchmiadzin became the most important center of Armenian painting from the beginning of the 17th century.
The first testimony pertaining to the decoration of the Cathedral of St. Etchmiadzin dates to the first half of the 17th century when the interior was adorned with paintings which Arakel Davrizhetsi described as "Christlike". The church decoration was so rich, according to him, that "everyone in the world around was happy and overjoyed."
Succeeding Catholicoses continued to decorate the Etchmiadzin Cathedral and the adjoining buildings.
The basic decoration and remodeling of the Etchmiadzin Cathedral is tied intimately with the Hovnatanian family of painters.
The first of these is Naghash Hovnatan (1661-1722), the poet and scribe of Shorot, who was also a bard. The painted portion of the St. Echmiadzin dome is a portion of his work preserved to date. Another is the Madonna painted on the marble of the frontal portion of the main altar. The entire composition was later completed by Naghash's descendents; the authors of the twelve apostles are his sons Hakob (?-l 757) and Harutune (middle of the 17th century).
During the reign of Catholicos Ghukas Naghash's grandson Hovnatan Hovnatanian (1730?-1801) decorated the Etchmiadzin Cathedral.
Working with Hovnatan Hovnatanian at Etchmiadzin were his apprentices, unknown Armenian artists, whose creations bear the stamp of their famous master's art.
Beside traditional themes (basically the Madonna with Jesus, Archangel Gabriel, the crowning of the Madonna, etc.), we also see purely Armenian subjects, such as "The Madonna with John the Baptist and Gregory the Illuminator", "Gregory the Illuminator", "St. Thaddeus", "St. Bartholomew", "The founding of Etchmiadzin", etc.
Pictures were also created for the Etchmiadzin monastery by Hovnatan Hovnatanian's son Mkrtum (1779-1846). As one traveler noted, at the time of Catholicos Nerses Ashtaraketsi "pictures of ancient Armenian kings, beginning with the founder of the nation, Haik, and the contemporary of Christ, Abgar to the glorious figures between Trdat the Great and the Khosrov". The author of this series of pictures was the gracious painter Mkrtum Hovnatanian.
Stepanos Nersisian's (1815-1884) widely acclaimed portraits of Mesrop Mashtots and Sahak Partev, expressing lofty and inspiring dispositions, occupy a special place in the collection of Etchmiadzin paintings. The romantically imbued seascapes of the well known painter Hovhannes Aivazovski (1817-1900) as well as the lyrical landscapes of Gevorg Bashindjaghian (1857-1925) are also part of the collection.
The name of one of the greatest figures of Armenian classical painting, that of Vardges Sureniantz (1860-1921), is connected with the Etchmiadzin monastery; Sureniantz's creations adorn the museums of the Catholical palace and the main Cathedral. The silvery hues of his canveses, the romantic comfort of its characters, the decorative gloriousness of the separate section, the integration of rules of icon painting with the esthetic requirements of modern art are definitive characteristics of his creations. Sureniantz' work at the Gevorgian Gymnasium was continued by Yeghishe Tadevosian (1870-1936). In his works included in the collection, the satiation of color coordination and their delicacy stress the dramatic basis of the subjects selected.
The painting collection of the Etchmiadzin monastery includes the works of numerous Armenian artists of the last few decades: S. Khachatrian, V. Makhokhian, H. Pushman, E. Shahine, H. Alkhazian, M. Sarian, H. Kodjoian, S. Arakelian, J. Orakian, P. Topalian, Carzou, A. Galentz, G. Khandjian, H. Hakopian, and others.
These paintings were created through the ages, collected over the years, and today the art collection of the St. Etchmiadzin monastery occupies its worthy place in the cultural history of the Armenian people.MANIA KHAZARYAN
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