Martiros Saryan’s “Street of Caucasian Town” One of the 10 Expensively Sold Paintings at MacDougall’s Auction

YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS:

Martiros Saryan's "Street of Caucasian Town" canvas was sold June 8 with 324 000 pounds at the MacDougall's Fine Art Auction Center of London. The initial price was 200-300 000 pounds.

The varpet (master) created it 1927 in Paris. Along with over 40 other creations it was presented 1938 at an exhibition in Paris. Most of the paintings were burnt in the port of Istanbul. The ship Frigi, with Saryan's paintings in the hold, steered a course from Marseille to Batumi, stopping off at the port of Istanbul. It was here that the fateful event took place. Fire broke out in the hold and all the artist's paintings were burnt. The ship itself was unharmed and continued to sail the waters of the Mediterranean until 1946.

Until now we could only judge Rue d'une ville caucasienne (Tiflis) from a black-and-white photograph taken in Paris: it is only now, 83 years after it was painted, that we can see it in color. It is remarkable both in its technique and composition. As the varpet himself opined, it is one of his "stronger works".

"In our family we keep a canvas by Martiros Saryan. Are you interested? How much would you offer for it?" Nic Marinovic from New Zealand wrote to Rouzan Saryan, director of the Martiros Saryan House-Museum. The museum and the RA Culture Ministrydid not manage to find enough sources for acquiring the painting.

Now the "Street of Caucasian Town" canvas is one of the 10 most expensively sold paintings at the MacDougall's Fine Art Auction. Saryan's "Yard" and "Yerevan Etude" paintings were presented at the auction, but were not sold.