Centenary of Eduard Isabekyan’s Birth

COLLECTOR COINS 2014

Centenary of Eduard Isabekyan’s Birth

Nominal Value	Metal and Stamp	Wight gr	Diametr	Circulation	Edge	Quality
100 dram	silver 925	28,28 g	28,0x40,0 mm	500 pcs	plain	brilliant uncirculated

EDUARD ISABEKYAN (1914-2007) is a prominent Armenian painter, People's Artist of the Soviet Armenia. Isabekyan graduated from the Yerevan Art and Industry College, then the Tbilisi Academy of Arts. In 1945-2000, he served as a lecturer at the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theatre Institute. In 1967-1986, he was Director of the National Gallery of Armenia and established branches of the Gallery in different cities of the country. In 1940s Isabekyan created paintings that reflected a struggle of Armenian people for national liberation and the Armenians' heroic spirit: "The Battle for the City" (1942), "Davit Bek" (1945), "Tanya" (1946). Later, portraits were the artist's main obsession: the works such as "Portrait of Mother" (1944), "Axel Bakunts" (1956), "Derenik Demirchyan" (1960) and others were a brilliant example of major achievement in Armenian portrait painting. To Isabekyan, landscape painting suggests an epical image of Armenian nature, ancient fortresses and temples. Among his best works are "In the Ravine of Tatev" (1959), "Khndzoresk" (1962), "Under the Shade of the Trees" (1966) and "Byurakan" (1991). These paintings stand out for their expressiveness, dynamic setup and intense coloring. His contribution to the development of historical genre painting is great. The prominent paintings include a masterpiece "The Response to Yazdegerd" (1947), "Revolt of Haghpat Peasants in 1903" (1957), and "Artavazd and Cleopatra" (1966). Isabekyan takes a particular place in the Armenian art due to his being a multi-genre painter. His illustrations for the historical novels "Vardananq" by D. Demirchyan (1952) and "Mkhitar Sparapet" (1963) by S. Khanzadyan as well as various graphical pictures and series of graphical works have earned him further popularity. In 1985, Isabekyan was honored with a State Prize of the Soviet Armenia. He had personal exhibitions in Yerevan (1985) and Moscow (1988). An "Eduard Isabekyan" gallery is open in Yerevan since 2013. Obverse of the coin depicts a fragment from the work "Young David". Reverse of the coin portrays a graphic self-portrait of Eduard Isabekyan

Designed by Haroutiun Samuelian. Minted in the Lithuanian Mint. In circulation since 26.04.2014.