Asaturov T.E. Martiros Saryan: the 1920s

Abstract: The subject of the research is the scenic painting of Martiros Saryan. Saryan's theatrical art is viewed by the researcher in terms of cultural and artistic events of the 1920s when Saryan worked in Rostov-on-Don. The documents that are left from those times demonstrate the active social activity of the artist and his work for the Theatre Workshop which performances were seen by Nikolay Gumilev, Viktor Khlebnikov, Vsevolod Meyerhold and others. During the Yerevan period of Saryan's creative work (after 1921) the emphasis is made on his creating the curtains for the First Yerevan State Theatre. During Paris period Saryan's works demonstrate the beginning of changes in his style of easel painting. Later those changes would be reflected in his late scenic painting. In the course of studying the creative work of Martiros Saryan the author fo the article has used the art history methods, mostly plastic and comparative analysis of his works. Special attention is paid top the analysis of the curtains created for the First Yerevan State Theatre. Special contribution made by the author fo the article to the studies of Saryan's artwork is his thorough research of documentaries on artistic life of Russia and Armenia of the 1920s. Asaturov provides a broad description of the cultural environment in which the first Saryan's works were created including the life of intelligentsia, art community, literary and theatrical environment where Saryan's style of scenic painting was developed. The novelty of the research is, first of all, caused by the fact that the researcher studies the life of the art community in Rostov-on-Don in the 1920s and the role of Martiros Saryan in that community. Special focus is made on the interaction between Russian intelligentsia and Armenian community living in Nakhichevan-on-Don which has been scarcely studied before. 

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