Martiros Saryan

Martiros Saryan (Armenian: Մարտիրոս Սարյան; Russian: Мартиро́с Сарья́н; 28 February [O.S. 16 February] 1880 – 5 May 1972) was an Armenian painter, People's Artist of the USSR (1960), member of the USSR Academy of Fine Arts (1947), president of the Artists' Union of Soviet Armenia (1945-1951), the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting. Born in Nakhichevan-on-Don, Saryan attended the local school and graduated from the New Nakhichevan Russian-Armenian College. His works were mainly inspired by his travels to Armenia and the Middle East. Saryan permanently moved to Armenia after the establishment of ASSR. His works were exhibited in Moscow, Venice, Yerevan, Paris, Brussels and other cities. Saryan is also famous for his work in theater, especially his set and costume designs for many prominent plays and operas such as "Almast," "Davit Bek," and so on. During his time in the Armenian State Theater, he painted his well-known landscape "Armenia" and numerous portraits of Armenian actors, artists, and writers. He was one of the members of the art association ‘The Four Arts’, which existed in Moscow and Leningrad in 1924-1931.