The Chinese Artist-Emperor- Huizong
Even the Chinese rulers were painters back then. Emperor Huizong was the eighth and one of the most famous emperors of the Song Dynasty of China, with a personal life spent amidst luxury, sophistication and art but ending in tragedy.Born Zhao Ji, he was the 11th son of Emperor Shenzong. In February 1100 his older half-brother Emperor Zhezong died without a surviving son, and Huizong succeeded him the next day as emperor. In 1126, when the Jurchen-led Jin dynasty invaded the Song dynasty during the Jin–Song Wars, Emperor Huizong abdicated and passed on his throne to his eldest son, Zhao
Exploring the world through her self-portraits. Lavinia Bazhbeuk-Melikyan
Lavinia Bazhbeuk-Melikyan (Armenian: Լավինիա Բաժբեուկ-Մելիքյան) was an Armenian female artist who was a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, and a People's Artist of the Armenian SSR. Lavinia Bazhbeuk-Melikyan was born in 1922 in Tbilisi in the family of artist, graphic designer, and sculptor Alexander Bazhbeuk-Melikyan. In 1935 she moved to Yerevan and studied at Panos Terlemezian Artistic College. In 1951 she graduated from V. Surikov Moscow Artistic Institute. In P. Korin’s studios, she worked on creating the inlaid panels for the Moscow “Komsomolskaya” metro station.From 1962-to 1964, Lavinia was a member of the board of administration for
The artist who preserved Armenian heritage through his watercolors and stamps
Arshak Abrahami Fetvadjian was an Armenian artist, painter and designer. He is best known for his watercolor paintings of the architectural monuments of the medieval Armenian city of Ani, and for designing the currency and postage stamps of the first Republic of Armenia (1918–1920). As a result of over 20 years devoted to art, Fetvadjian produced no less than 2,000 works, varying from lucid pencil drawings to painstakingly accurate watercolors, that depicted historically significant churches, monasteries, chapels and palaces. A considerable number of his other works were also portraits of Armenians at the turn of the 20th century.Fetvadjian was born
Armenian female artist who modelled for Matisse
The Armenian female artist Vava Khatchadourian was born on February 12, 1895, in Trebizond, Ottoman Empire, and spent most of her childhood in Batumi. Prior to pursuing an artistic career, Khatchadourian lived in Vienna and Paris, where she modeled for the famous French painter Henri Matisse and others. In 1920, she married famed Armenian painter and muralist Sarkis Khatchadourian in Tiflis. After extensive travels worldwide, including several years living in India and Iran, Vava and Sarkis settled in New York to begin a new life in 1941. She started painting in 1945. Her works can be found at the National Gallery
The rare Armenian silver filigree, enamel, and gilt: a box set with emeralds, pearls, and garnets
This fine, domed chest is of Armenian origin and most probably served a religious purpose – possibly it was used to hold incense. It is of a gilded silver sheet that has then been covered with an outer layer of silver filigree to which champleve enameled silver floral plaques have been applied. This rich decoration has been further embellished with the addition of Baroque pearls and square emeralds and round garnet cabochons all in high box settings.The silver filigree is arrayed on all sides in a floral cruciform pattern, with leaves enameled finely in green, and flowers enameled in delicate
