Caucasus

About

The mountain lands between the Black and Caspian seas have been crossroads of empires and faiths. Armenian craftsmen carved khachkars, stone slabs laced with crosses and interlace, and illuminators such as Toros Roslin painted Gospel books in the 13th century. Georgia developed its own church architecture and fine cloisonné enamels, and Azerbaijan is known for knotted carpets and a tradition of manuscript painting shared with Persia.

Modern painting took distinct local forms. Niko Pirosmani, a self-taught Georgian who died in 1918, painted tavern signs and feasts on black oilcloth, and Martiros Saryan gave Armenian landscape blazing, flat colour. Soviet rule set official styles for decades, while emigré artists such as Jean Carzou and Jean Jansem made careers in France. Since independence in 1991, a new generation has emerged, including Vajiko Chachkhiani from Georgia and Farid Rasulov from Azerbaijan, who turns carpet patterns into rooms and objects.