Collection Selsction of house-museum to introduce in “Martiros Saryan: Dialogue with eternity” exhibition

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 14, ARMENPRESS. The exhibition “Martiros Saryan: Dialogue with eternity” will introduce 30 works of the collection of the house-museum of the painter to the visitors in Matenadaran of Ancient Manuscripts named after Mesrop Mashtots. It will be possible to visit the exhibition in the “Donations Hall” since December 20. The Director of Saryan house-museum Ruzan Saryan stated in a conversation with “Armenpress” that the collection selsction of the house-museum is introduced in the exhibition. “As the area of the exhibition hall is not very large, we have reduced the number of the works which we should introduce in this exhibition,” Ruzan Saryan told. According to her, special stands have been ordered for the exhibition, on which the works will be introduced.

The exhibition “Martiros Saryan: Dialogue with eternity” will be open to the visitors till June 2014. The collection of the exhibition is not excluded to be replenished till the pointed date.

Since July 1 2013 the major renovation activities have launched in Saryan house-museum. After finishing the major renovation activities of painter Martiros Saryan house-museum, the residential part of the museum will also be included in the permanent exhibition, introducing itself in a new way. An opportunity will be created in the residential part of the house to hold various literary- cultural, memorial evenings in a cozy atmosphere.

The museum opened on November 26, 1967.The halls of the museum exhibit those hangings which the artist never parted with in his lifetime.Naturally the collection is far from being complete, most of the artistic works gracing the museums of Moscow, Leningrad, Tbilisi, Kiev, Rostov on-the-Don and many other cities.

The collection of the museum comprises 160 canvases which the artist executed in different periods of his life. Mainly his early works are placed on view here: "Tales and Dreams" (1904—1907), "At the Well. A Hot Day" (1908), Self-Portrait" (1909), "Istanbul Dogs" (1910), apart from dozens of canvases painted in the Soviet period: "Aragats" (1925), "A Yard in Yerevan" (1929), "Three Ages" (1943), "Picking Cotton in the Valley of Ararat" (1949) and others symbolizing the revival of the Armenian people.

He has an attractive gallery of portraits of conspicuous personalities of the Soviet Union and Armenia: Alexey Tolstoy, Ilya Ehrenburg, I. S. Issakov, G. Ulanova, Avetik Issahakian, Victor Ambatsumian and others.

A special hall is assigned to the exhibition of the graphic art of M. Sarian. The museum houses also the artist's atelier, where he created from 1932 to 1972. Here upwards of two thousand graphic works and water colors are stocked, in addition to 400 paintings which allow the periodical renovation of the exposition. Everything in the atelier is kept in its original form— the palette and the brushes of the past master. The viewers can familiarize themselves with the catalogues of shows of different years and the canvases executed by the artist in his last years.

Every year the museum marks February 28 (M. Sarian's birthday) by a new exposition. Moreover, topical and red-letter day shows are often staged in the memorial-house.

The Museum is going to expand exhibiting and scientific activities with the aim of establishing a center on the Saryan studies. In this regard, systematization of the artist's archives will be accomplished. His private library will be catalogued and organization of conferences is scheduled.

An art studio will be set up at the Museum, lectures and film screening will be organized about modern painting.