Pirosmani

02 August 2007 - 07 October 2007

A Legend in "Naïve" Art

Since its establishment, Pera Museum hosted works by several outstanding artists representing different genres. Now, the museum opens its doors for one of the most intriguing creative artists in the world, the Georgian peasant painter Pirosmani. Along with the naïve paintings of Pirosmani, who was born in a small Georgian village in mid-19th century and died in poverty in Tbilisi in 1918, waltz in a joyous feast of color, scent, and form through the blossoming meadows, villages, and animals of a neighboring country.

Recognized only by his immediate circle while he was still alive, Pirosmani was acknowledged in the 1920s and 30s, particularly in the Western art circles in which primitive and naïf artists were starting to be appreciated. Since then, his paintings continue to fascinate art connoisseurs in the world with their unprecedented sincerity and charm.

Niko Pirosmani (1862-1918) was born to a peasant family in one of the regions of Georgia - Kakheti, in the village of Mirzaani. During his life, most of which he spent in Tbilisi, he never received any professional education. In 1882, he opened a studio with another painter, Gigo Zaziashvili, accepting commissions for signboards. However, the partners soon went bankrupt. For mere subsistence, he occasionally worked in Tbilisi “dukhans” (tavern), or at the rail station.