Lado Gudiashvili
Encyclopedia
Lado Gudiashvili (1896–1980) was a 20th century Georgian
painter. Gudiashvili was born in Tiflis on March 18 (30), 1896 into a family of a railroad employee. He studied in the Tiflis school of sculpture and fine art (1910-1914), and later in Ronson's private academy in Paris
(1919-1926). For a while, Gudiashvili belonged to a group of Georgian poets called "The Blue Horns" (1914-1918), who were trying to connect organically the Georgian national flavor with the creative structure of French symbolism. In Paris, he was a constant customer of the famous "La Ruche," a colony of painters where he met I. Zuloaga, Amedeo Modigliani
, Natalia Goncharova
, and Mikhail Larionov
. Gudiashvili's work was greatly influenced by Niko Pirosmanashvili
.
Filled with the charm of Georgian life, the painter's early works combine dramatic grotesque with the charm of poetic mystery ("Live Fish," 1920, Art Museum of Georgia
). Closeness to the traditions of old Caucasian and Persian art was amplified upon his return to Georgia in 1926. Gudiashvili's colors become warmer, and the perception of the world as a theater grew stronger (many of Gudiashvili's paintings were either inspired by operas and balles or serve to depict actresses in costumes). Like his compatriots (Grigol Robakidze
, Konstantine Gamsakhurdia
), Gudiashvili freely used mythological allegories ("The Walk of Seraphita," 1940), the center of which was a graciously beautiful woman imagined as the mysterious "Goddess of the Earth."
Gudiashvili also worked as a monumentalist, painting anew the Kashveti church in Tbilisi
in 1946, for which he was expelled from the Communist Party
and fired from the Tbilisi academy of fine arts, where he had been teaching since 1926.
In the voluminous "antifascist cycle" of Indian ink drawings Gudiashvili became a kind of "Georgian Goya": beastlike monsters surrounded the ruins of art and naked "goddesses" conveyed the ideas of the death of culture.
Lado Gudiashvili worked also as a book illustrator, cinema and theater decorator. He died on July 20, 1980 in Tbilisi.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
painter. Gudiashvili was born in Tiflis on March 18 (30), 1896 into a family of a railroad employee. He studied in the Tiflis school of sculpture and fine art (1910-1914), and later in Ronson's private academy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1919-1926). For a while, Gudiashvili belonged to a group of Georgian poets called "The Blue Horns" (1914-1918), who were trying to connect organically the Georgian national flavor with the creative structure of French symbolism. In Paris, he was a constant customer of the famous "La Ruche," a colony of painters where he met I. Zuloaga, Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
, Natalia Goncharova
Natalia Goncharova
Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova was a Russian avant-garde artist , painter, costume designer, writer, illustrator, and set designer. Her great-aunt was Natalia Pushkina, wife of the poet Alexander Pushkin.-Life and work:...
, and Mikhail Larionov
Mikhail Larionov
Mikhail Fyodorovich Larionov was an avant-garde Russian painter.-Life and work:...
. Gudiashvili's work was greatly influenced by Niko Pirosmanashvili
Niko Pirosmanashvili
Niko Pirosmani was a Georgian primitivist painter.-Biography:Pirosmani was born in the Georgian village of Mirzaani to a peasant family in the Kakheti province. His parents, Aslan Pirosmanashvili and Tekle Toklikishvili were farmers. They owned a small vineyard, couple of cows and oxes...
.
Filled with the charm of Georgian life, the painter's early works combine dramatic grotesque with the charm of poetic mystery ("Live Fish," 1920, Art Museum of Georgia
Art Museum of Georgia
The Art Museum of Georgia , officially known as Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts , is one of the most important museums in Georgia...
). Closeness to the traditions of old Caucasian and Persian art was amplified upon his return to Georgia in 1926. Gudiashvili's colors become warmer, and the perception of the world as a theater grew stronger (many of Gudiashvili's paintings were either inspired by operas and balles or serve to depict actresses in costumes). Like his compatriots (Grigol Robakidze
Grigol Robakidze
Grigol Robakidze was a Georgian writer, publicist, and public figure primarily known for his exotic prose and anti-Soviet émigré activities....
, Konstantine Gamsakhurdia
Konstantine Gamsakhurdia
Konstantine Gamsakhurdia was a Georgian writer and public figure, who, along with Mikheil Javakhishvili, is considered to be one of the most influential Georgian novelists of the 20th century...
), Gudiashvili freely used mythological allegories ("The Walk of Seraphita," 1940), the center of which was a graciously beautiful woman imagined as the mysterious "Goddess of the Earth."
Gudiashvili also worked as a monumentalist, painting anew the Kashveti church in Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
in 1946, for which he was expelled from the Communist Party
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
and fired from the Tbilisi academy of fine arts, where he had been teaching since 1926.
In the voluminous "antifascist cycle" of Indian ink drawings Gudiashvili became a kind of "Georgian Goya": beastlike monsters surrounded the ruins of art and naked "goddesses" conveyed the ideas of the death of culture.
Lado Gudiashvili worked also as a book illustrator, cinema and theater decorator. He died on July 20, 1980 in Tbilisi.