The origins of the Armenian culture

The history of the Armenian nation’s culture originates from the VI-V centuries BC and is seen as a continuation of more ancient culture of Urartu.

In the IX-VI centuries BC on the territory of the Armenian Highland there was a highly developed civilization of the state of Urartu. The polyethnic population of Urartu, consisting of Hurri-Urartian, proto-Armenian tribes, left a rich cultural heritage, the continuation of which is the Armenian people’s culture.

The art of the state of Urartu was strongly influenced by the masters of neighboring Assyria - the leading superpower of that period. The heyday of Urartian art came in the VIII century BC, the period of the highest rise of Urartu. Bronze statuettes, jewelry, weapons and other products of the Urartian artisans have reached up to our days.

Ancient Armenia.VI century BC - V century of current era

In the VI century BC, the Armenian nationality’s formation completion was over. Among the works of art as of VI-III centuries BC a high level of processing was typical of metal products. In the ancient capital of Armenia - Armavir, gold jewelry of the era of the Yervandunis have been discovered.

Since the IV century BC, Hellenistic culture began to develop on the territory of Armenia. In the III century BC new cities appear in Armenia where crafts and art develop. The establishment of closer ties with the Hellenistic states of the Mediterranean promoted the further development of the ancient Armenian culture in a new - Hellenistic direction. From the II century BC, after the restoration of Armenian statehood and the formation of Great Armenia, Hellenism begins to flourish in the Armenian culture. The development of Hellenistic culture was encouraged by the Armenian kings - at first by Artashes I, and then Tigran the Great. Chalices of rhytons and silver, mosaics, terracotta, fragments of sculptural art are preserved. It is known that during Mark Antony’s short march to Armenia, the Romans removed a golden statue of the goddess Anahit from Artashat. In the II-I centuries BC the ancient Armenians owned the technique of glassmaking, which at the turn of the I century BC - I century AD reaches a new level.

During the archaeological excavations near the fortress of Garni - the pagan temple of the 1st century AD, ruins of the therms of the 1st-3rd centuries AD were discovered the floor of which was decorated with a well-preserved mosaic with images of pagan gods and other mythological creatures with the Greek inscription «We worked, but we were not paid». Тhere are two silver bowls belonging to the II century AD, one of which (named after the Armenian king Bakur II) is decorated with theatrical subjects images. Several sculptural male portraits dating from the III century were also found on the territory of Armenia.

Fine arts in the middle ages: fresco painting

The adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia in 301 had a paramount importance for the further development of the Armenian nation’s history and culture. It is since the IV century that a new phase in the Armenian culture history begins, marking the beginning of medieval Armenian art.

Some fragments of fresco painting date back to the Hellenistic period and they have been found in the capital of ancient Armenia, Artashat.

The earliest preserved fragments of Armenian fresco date back to the V-VII centuries (Poghos-Petros church in Yerevan, Yereruyk, Qasakh Basilica, Lmbatavank, Aruchavank). From the Armenian medieval monumental painting of the 10th-11th centuries only fresco fragments were preserved.

In Tatev Monastery the painting of a part of the Last Judgment scene (the beginning of the 10th century) is preserved, which in its composition is close to Western European monuments. In the monastery of Gndevank (built in 914), located in the Vayots Dzor region, fragments of frescoes with images of the halo of Christ in the apse, the figures of the sitting Virgin and the unknown saint (painted by Eghishe) were preserved.

In the treatise «On iconoclasm» by the 6th-7th centuries author Vrtanes Kertogh the scenes depicted in the temples are listed. In particular, information on the existence of early Christianity of frescoes, depicting St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Hripsime, St. Gayane, in Armenia is given.

There are partially preserved frescoes in the cathedral (built in 1001) in the medieval capital of Armenia - the city of Ani, as well as in the church of the Holy Cross (built during 915-921) on the island of Akhtamar, on the walls of which the story of Adam and Eve, the figures of the apostles and saints, other evangelical scenes are depicted. Mural paintings of the XII century in Akhtala, fragments of murals of the XIII century in the church of Bakhtageka in Ani, as well as those in the church of Tigran Honents and in Dadivank are preserved. Among the frescoes of the XIV century, paintings in the Haghpat Monastery are of particular value.

In the Armenian church paintings one of the earliest complete cycles of the composition «Last Judgment» has been preserved. The analysis of early Armenian paintings in Aruch, Talin, Lmbat and Kosh proves the existence of decoration system already developed as early as in the 7th century, which reached its greatest peak in the 10th century.

Fine Arts in the Middle Ages: Armenian Miniature

The earliest monuments of Armenian miniature belong to the VI-VII centuries. Among the 25 thousand Armenian medieval manuscripts preserved, about 10 thousand are illustrated, 5-7 thousand of which are full-fledged miniatures. As early as the 9-10th centuries, two main trends were traced in Armenian miniature. The first is due to orders of the feudal nobility, this group is characterized by splendor and picturesqueness, developed ornament, and, in addition, the abundance of gold - among them the Gospel of Queen Mlke (862), Echmiadzin Gospel (989), Gospel of Mughni (XI century). The second group is associated with democratic layers, it is distinguished by its graphical, laconic, proximity to folk art, as well as the expressiveness of faces and images movements - the Gospels as of 986, 1018 and 1038.

The Armenian miniature has several main groups and stages of development: the period up to the XI century, the 11th-12th centuries schools of Great and Little Armenia, the 12th-14th centuries schools of Cilician Armenia, the the 13th century schools of Bardzr Hayq, Ani, Artsakh, Gladzor, Tatev, Vaspurakan, and, after the XIII century, also the colonies of the Armenian diaspora.

XIII-XIV centuries miniature is extremely diverse, this was a period when a number of local schools developed. Among them, the Cilician school, developed in the Cilician Armenian state, is of particular significance. Originated in the XII century, it is flourishing in the second half of the XIII century. This school is distinguished by a variety of its subjects. The art works by Toros Roslin have a special place in its history. Roslin's works are characterized by deep psychological expressiveness of characters, variety of subjects and skill of composition of group scenes, accurate drawing, special approach to the ornaments images.

At the same time, in Eastern Armenia miniature reaches a high level of development, this said especially about the schools of Tatev and Gladzor. Among the significant works it is worth noting the Targmanchats Gospel of 1232 (artist - Grigor), which is characterized by emotional images and picturesqueness. In Western Armenia, the school of miniature painting thrives in Vaspurakan. Its characteristic features are the predominance of linear graphic images (artists of the XIV century - Dzerun, Rstakes) and decorativeness. Masters of the XIV century art are Momik, Toros Taronatsi and Avag, who worked in Gladzor. In the XIV-XV centuries in Tatev Monastery Grigor Tatevatsi and Grigor worked.

In the Middle Ages, special guides on fine art were created – «Patkersusuyts». The oldest manuscript of such «Patkerusuits» preserved, dates back to the 15-16th centuries. Hakob Jughayetsi is probably the last Armenian outstanding miniaturist, who lived at the turn of the 16-17th centuries. His work preceded the secular development of the Armenian art.

After the weakening and collapse of the Armenian statehood, Crimea turned into one of the Armenian culture development centers. In the Armenian churches and monasteries of the Crimea hundreds of manuscripts were written and illustrated (according to some sources, up to 500), 300 of which currently are kept at Matenadaran. All the fundamental features and traditions of Armenian miniature art are vividly noticeable in the works of the artists of the Armenian miniature Crimean school (the Cilician school had a special influence on its development).

Armenian miniature painting developed until the XIX century.

The XVII - XVIII centuries. The development of panel painting

Since the XVII-XVIII centuries, medieval artistic styles and approaches have been gradually giving way to new realistic methods of artistic expression. Together with miniature and fresco art, new types of art are developing - panel painting, portrait painting, thematic works and realistic landscape genre. In the interiors of the temples, oil painting on canvas, less often on silk or boards appear.

In the history of the XVII-XVIII centuries Armenian fine art, an important place is occupied by Hovnatanyan dynasty artists. Their works, including those performed for the Cathedral of Echmiadzin, manifested features of realism. The first paintings of Echmiadzin Cathedral, of which only three plot fragments are preserved, belong to the founder of this family - Naghash Hovnatanyan. In the 1680s, he painted a series of plot works for the church of Poghos-Petros in Yerevan. Hovnatanyans’ works in the churches of Agulis, Shorot, Aprakunis and Astapat can be considered as belonging to special Nakhijevan school. Of great interest are the works of Harutyun Hovnatanyan and Hovnatan Hovnatanyan. The latter performed remarkable portraits of the Armenian Church figures. In the 1780s, Hovnatan Hovnatanyan, together with his disciples, restored the frescoes of Echmiadzin Cathedral.

Portrait painter Minas (portraits of Hakobjan and Voskan Velijanyans) lived and worked in Nor Jugha (New Julfa, Isfahan, Iran). Among his monumental works, there are famous frescoes in several Armenian churches of Isfahan. An artist, writer, philosopher-theologian Hovhannes Mrkuz, who mostly created paintings on biblical subjects also lived in this period. In the XVIII century, several Armenian artists worked in the Armenian colony of Jerusalem. 23 works by Hovhannes Tiratsu are preserved in the Armenian church of St. Jacob in Jerusalem.

By the end of the XVII and the beginning of the XVIII century, the activity of artists from the Manas family is relevant. The founders of this dynasty of artists were Raphael, Barsegh and Minas Manas, who worked mainly in Constantinople.

With the further development of Armenian book printing in the XVII-XVIII centuries, book graphics develops. Illustrations of «Aysmavurk» (1706) by Grigor Marzvanetsi are of high artistic value, which are made with xylographic means. The book illustrations of Marzvanetzi are performed in the national style. The latter also created color xylographic illustrations. Since the middle of the 18th century, the art of engraving has also been developing in Armenia.