The Almost Unknown Georgian Painter: Pirosmani
It is way back in 1862.
In the humble green countryside of a village in Georgia, at Mirzaani, among the vineyards of the Pirosmanashvili family, Nikoláy, ნიკოლოზ — was born on May 5th.
Despite meager economic opportunities, a life full of hardships, and the lack of recognition from the intellectuals of his time, Pirosmani pursued his passion for painting from a very early age. He held on to his dream, beyond the opinions of others.
Because of this innate creative necessity, today, we can be moved by the purity of his splendid paintings. The subjects that inspire Niko are often Georgians and their daily lives. As well as the women he falls in love with, without ever being reciprocated. Animals with sometimes bizarre and curious shapes. And his personal experiences, sublimated by the painter’s vision.
When admiring works such as ‘Giraffe’ and ‘Roe with a Landscape in the Background’. A keen observer's eye will discern in the characteristic cerulean, clear, and dreamy brushstrokes the simplicity of his existence and the deep misunderstood sensitivity that reigned in Niko’s soul. An inner world that he could surely express only through colors and forms, which came to life in his magnificent canvases.
As a self-taught artist, coming from a modest social background — and because of his poetic and magical way of representing the social reality that surrounded him — Pirosmani is usually placed among the painters of primitivism and the so-called naïf art.
He was, in fact, able to introduce the rural Georgian context, conveying kindness and lightheartedness, as in ‘Feast at Gvimradze’ and ‘Fruit Stall.’ Almost hiding that harshness that, even today, seems to characterize it. It would seem as if the more raw view of reality did not exist in the way he perceived the world around him. Or perhaps, more likely, his paintings outlined an escape route from that complex historical context and the difficulties he had to face throughout his entire existence.
From his earliest years, he was an orphan and moved with his two sisters to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. However, both of them soon got married, and Niko was taken as a servant by a wealthy local merchant, Ahverdi Kalantarov. He spent the following 20 years at the service of this family, learning to write and read in Russian and Georgian, of course falling in love with the merchant’s daughter, to no avail.
When he finished his work with the Kalantarovs, he devoted himself to all kinds of employment. His financial condition was such that he often painted only in exchange for food. Still, he made an attempt to get out of poverty by opening a dairy shop, but he was unsuccessful and had to resign himself to an extremely unfortunate life.
In Russia, Niko became famous not for his paintings but for his failed love affair with the French actress Margarita de Sevres.
It was March 1909, the actress performed at a theater in Tbilisi. On that occasion, the painter was thunderstruck by the latter’s talent and beauty. He was immediately enchanted, as had happened to many men before him, but Margarita was unapproachable. She stated before public opinion:
“If you are a national artist and belong to the whole nation, you should not belong to one person.”
Therefore, the painter’s infatuation bothered her. Nevertheless, he never stopped looking for her.
On one occasion, he waited near her house, and even if she paid no attention to him, he fell to the floor dramatically, crying and kissing the ground where she passed. He also painted a portrait in her honor, ‘The Actress Margarita’ without having any effect on her heart. Today, this is one of his most famous pieces of art, but his attempts at conquest did not stop there.
Desperate for attention, he performed the grand gesture that brought him sad fame: on Margarita’s birthday, he decided to sell the entirety of his possessions and went to buy all the flowers in the city.
Huge wagons, loaded with flowers, were unloaded near the actress’s window, and, in no time, the entire street was filled with fragrant buds. Margarita, smelling the incredible aroma in the air and the sounds outside, approached the window. She saw a carpet of flowers and Niko approaching her abode. She rushed out and gave him her first and last kiss before leaving forever. Seemingly, the actress left Georgia shortly thereafter with a wealthy admirer, never to return.
This story inspired the melody of a well-known Russian artist, Alla Pugachevam. Thanks to it, Pirosmani became known throughout the Federation. The song ‘Million Red Roses’ was sung by the citizens of the Soviet Union, who knew it by heart.
In the years that followed, he lived in poverty in a basement in the city of Tbilisi, which can still be visited today. His art was discovered and reevaluated only a few years before his death. In 1912, he became a small center of attention in Europe, but he also got a lot of criticism. This led him to isolate himself even more. Until 1918, when a serious illness ended the painter’s tragic existence.
To this day, Niko remains a little-known artist in much of the world.
It should, instead, be shared, observed, and deepened, since rarely does one encounter in the expression of a human being a degree of sincerity so profound as to reflect the purity and innocence found in his soul and as a reflection in ours.
📝 My name is Carmen Maya Posta, thanks for reading me! This article was originally written in Italian for “Laici” in 2024. Find more writing translated into Italian, Spanish, and English on this website, on Instagram @carmenmeanspoem, on Substack , & listen to my voice on YouTube.
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