07/05/2024
"Semiramis at the body of Ara the Beautiful.”
Painting by Vardkes Surenyants, 1899, oil on canvas, 214.5 x 98 cm.
Art Gallery of Armenia
Ara the Beautiful is a legendary Armenian king, described by an Armenian historiographer of the 5th century, Movses Khorenatsi in his book “History of Armenia”.
Semiramis (called Shamiram in Armenian), having heard about the beauty of the Armenian king, sent him a message in which she asked him to become her husband and ascend to the kingdom, trying to unite the two powers. However, the returning ambassadors conveyed to the queen the humiliating refusal of the Armenian king. Shamiram was inflamed with hatred of Ara, gathered an army and attacked Armenia. Despite orders to take Ara alive, the Assyrians mortally wounded him in a bloody battle.
Vardges Sureniants (1860 – 1921) was an Armenian painter, sculptor, illustrator, translator, art critic, and theater artist. He is considered the founder of Armenian historical painting. His paintings feature scenes from Armenian fairy-tales and various historical events.
Sureniants' father was then appointed a presbyter to the Armenian diocese in Moscow. When in Moscow, Sureniants had an opportunity to study at the prestigious Armenian Lazarian School located in the city. In 1876, he furthered his education at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.
He traveled to Italy in 1881 and visited the island of San Lazzaro degli Armeni where the Armenian Catholic congregation of the Mechitarists is located. In their library he studied Armenian fine art and Armenian manuscripts. In 1885–87, he traveled to the Persian cities of Tabriz, Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz with Russian orientalist Valentin Zhukovski's expedition. After his travels, Sureniants translated William Shakespeare's and sent it to Constantinople so that actor Bedros Adamian could have it produced. In 1890–91 he taught art history at the Gevorkian Seminary in Armenia.
In 1892 Sureniants visited Ani, Lake Sevan and became familiar with the everyday customs of rural Armenian life. In the same year, he went to Moscow where he became involved in many artistic circles.
During the Armenian genocide, Sureniants painted many paintings of survivors who found refuge in Russian Armenia. In 1916 he went to Tiflis, where he and other artists such as Martiros Saryan and Panos Terlemezian founded the Armenian Artistic Society.
In 1917 Sureniants moved to Yalta where he was commissioned to draw the decorations for the newly built Armenian cathedral. Sureniants decorated the altar, walls, and dome of the church. While decorating the church Surentiants suffered a grave illness. He died on 6 April 1921, and is buried in the premises of the Armenian church of Yalta.
Sureniants is often categorized as a realist painter. He once said that "painters must paint life the way it appears in front of our eyes." His style reflected this notion through his depiction of landscapes and historical events. He played an instrumental role in reviving Armenian historical events through the medium of art. Pointillism was one of his chief techniques.
