These beautiful illustrations were created by Yervand Kochar in 1939 for the Armenian national epic “Daredevils of Sassoun“.
Yervand Kochar was a prominent sculptor and artist of the twentieth century. He gained fame and recognition in Paris when he settled there in 1923 and invented a genre called “Painting in Space” (click the bar bellow for a video on the subject).
In 1936, while at the peak of his artistic fame, to the surprise of many, Kochar repatriated to Soviet Armenia, without the least bit of doubt that he was leaving Paris for good.Β His most recognized works include the statues of David of Sassoun (1959) which has become the symbol of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia; of Vardan Mamikonian (1975); of Komitas (1969) in Echmiadzin.Β In 1999 UNESCO marked Kochar’s centennial as one of the “outstanding dates” in world art. In 2010 Armenia’s Union of Artists opened an exhibit dedicated to Yervand Kochar’s artistic legacy marking 110 years since the artist’s birth.
See bellow some of the illustrations for the epic the Daredevils of Sassoun. The last illustration is not from the epic, it is however very much in the same art style and so I could not resist posting it as well.Β
Yervant Kochar’s expressions in sculpture, painting and graphics have become iconic. Armenians of Armenia and diaspora have well accepted his works, in particular his David of Sassoun has become the symbol of Yerevan and Armenia.Yet, I always have wondered as to why he always have been kept in the shadow. Some have answered that during the Soviet era his nationalism did not coincide with the official policy, for which his masterpiece David of Sassoun was placed not at the main square but at the train station. Alas, his fate has not changed much during the post soviet era. When I… Read more »
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