GEORGIAN PORTRAIT PAINTING OF THE 19TH CENTURY

The exhibition features eighteen 19th-century Tbilisi Portrait School artworks, preserved at the Shalva Amiranashvili State Museum of Arts of Georgia. This collection includes portraits of contemporary Georgian residents, such as kings, queens, princes, nobles, military officers, officials, and citizens.

Throughout the history of Georgian art, various artistic styles were influenced by diverse cultural traditions, due to Georgia’s geographical location and the unique circumstances often faced by smaller nations. In the second half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, influences from the Eastern-Islamic and Western-European worlds were evident in Georgian lifestyle and Georgian art. Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, was also a multicultural hub, with people from different backgrounds bringing their customs and ethnic cultures. Consequently, by the early 19th century, the expressive style of the Tbilisi portrait school reflected a fusion of various artistic traditions.

Among the roots of this school, a distinctly Georgian influence stands the long-standing tradition of secular portraits in Georgian medieval wall painting. Iranian art also played a significant role. Furthermore, the stylistic character of the Tbilisi portrait school was undoubtedly shaped by the impact of European easel painting and the evolution of Georgian parade portraits in the late 18th century. Around 200 works from this school survive in Georgia today, known for their typicality, generalization, and universality.

By the end of the 18th century, there was a certain fusion between the incoming influences and those traditionally rooted in the Middle Ages, creating a highly noteworthy art form. With Russia’s arrival, not only was the monarchy abolished, and the church stripped of its autonomy, but the entire social order was disrupted. In art, this was expressed through a new reorganization—we see yet another wave of European influence arriving and, once again, meeting with local traditions. This begins in the late 1820s, as a rise to a very intriguing phenomenon. We call it the Tbilisi portrait, although it appears to extend beyond just Tbilisi. Today, this phenomenon is quite well-known. We know that many artists were involved, yet still, there are no names or surnames attached to the works. In several pieces, we see the blending of Georgian and Armenian visual traditions and unifying elements—sometimes a hint of Eastern influence, sometimes a sudden return to the old, our own, medieval juxtapositions. It is interesting to see how this phenomenon connects to the circle of artists who emerged on the scene at the end of the 19th century.

This text is based on Dimitri Tumanishvili’s book Georgian Art of the 20th Century and Its Historical Context.