National Gallery of Armenia

 An exhibition of Romanos Sargsyan’s artworks will be open at the National Gallery of Armenia on November 5, at 15.00 p.m. The artist was born in Tbilisi. He studied at Leningrad College of Arts after V. Serov. After it he studied at the Academy of Arts after I. Repin. He lived in Moscow till 1961, after which he lived in Yerevan. Alongside with painting he has been engaged in pedagogy throughout his lifetime. He was a lecturer at Yerevan State Art and Theatre Institute (he was the Head of the Chair of Painting and Composition, as well as the Deputy to the Rector). In 1983 he was decorated with the title “Honoured Art Worker”. R. Sargsyan worked in various genres. His artworks are valuable samples of realistic art. The exhibition at the NGA will be Romanos Sargsyan’s first exhibition in his motherland. It will include part of his family collection. 

Romanos Sargsyan(1928-1985)

Painter Romanos Sargsyan is one of those artists of the latest period whose art has been amazing for people by its splendor and high mastery. The moral staunchness of the artist has been expressed both in painting and in the field of pedagogy. He was the Deputy to the Rector of Art and Theatre Institute for many years. Pedagogy was as important for him as his creative activity. He had adopted the principles of the Leningrad Academy of Arts and later used them in his pedagogical activity. Alongside with his professional literacy in painting, R. Sargsyan demanded his students not to avoid the emotional impact of creations: the image should be considered not only as a synthesis of colours and lines, but also as a result of the subject influence. His talent and skills were reflected in each of his artworks. At present time, after many years of his death, the characteristic feature of his nature becomes clear: he was convinced that every artwork should have not only artistic values but also those of spiritual one.

R. Sargsyan’s extraordinary skill of colour perception is amazing. He has worked in the genres of landscape, portraiture and still life, constantly bringing forward emotional and ideological innovations. His Armenian or Russian landscapes let the viewer deepen in the image, feel the strength and lucidity of internal relations and evoke feelings towards the nature. The artist could make the original artwork more exclusive, mysterious and attractive.

His artworks are too natural, though they have no reflection of the reality. His main objective, as well as the theme of his art is the human inner world and its connection with the environment. The artist could reveal this through his great colours. R. Sargsyan tried to express and glorify the universal beauty and perfection in his paintings. Each of his landscapes is an expression of some certain emotional state. His still lifes reveal the artist’s admiration towards the perfection of the nature. He depicted not just fruits, but also his own happiness while observing that beauty. He strived for bringing together his aesthetic feelings and dramatic expectations. This was more expressed in his portraits. He didn’t care who the model was, a friend or a stranger. He could see what was hidden in each model, thus making the viewer believe in his subjective interpretations. All these prove that Romanos Sargsyan is a true artist, who tried to reveal the mysteries of the changeable life in his art. That is why his prolific talent and lust for life were revealed not only in fine arts but also in poetry, the latter being unknown to many people.

 Marina Spepanyan