On May 27, opening of an exhibition called “Masterpieces of History”, comprised of Azerbaijani and Oriental collections being preserved at the National Museum of Georgia, took place at the Heydar Aliyev Centre. Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony.
Some 300 exhibits are displayed at the exhibition. Old Azerbaijani art examples created at the time of Gajars and collected later, a collection of household items and paintings related to Sardar palace complex of the Iravan Khanate, and photo-documents received from the archive of Russian photographer Dmitri Yermakov are demonstrated in three sections.
Majority of the old art examples related to the Gajars epoch are presented through world renowned oil-paint pictures, miniatures, ceramic and metal products, and textile and carpets related to the time of Fatali Shah. Well aware of picture’s power, Fatali Shah broadly utilized architecture, painting and decorative art to demonstrate his influence and achievements. A portrait of Fatali Shah too is among the exhibits.
Six works related to the 19th century, made using oil paint by Mirza Gadim Iravani, the founder of Azerbaijani panel painting, master of ornament and portrait, who has had a great influence on the Azerbaijani fine arts, are also displayed at the exhibition.
Mirza Gadim Iravani is known by stencil paintings, wall decorations, products of jewellery, works made using lacquer, and glass painting art. He was the one who repainted rescued original works of the Sardar Palace of the Iravan Khanate in the middle of the 19th century, and plates used in decoration of the mosque and palace of the same palace complex.
A collection comprised of photos by D.Yermakov, who had been working as a military topographer and, later, during 1877-1878, participated in the Russia-Ottoman war, is also presented at the exhibition. After the war, Yermakov was engaged in photo art in Tbilisi, made trips to Caucasian region, and participated in a series of archaeological expeditions. He has created a series of photos showing in details the process of destruction of rare buildings of the Iravan fortress – the Sardar Palace, mosques, caravanserai and other buildings related to the middle ages that had formed the historical centre of Iravan city.
The exhibition will continue until April 5, 2020.