Niko Pirosmani

Just a few years after the artist’s death, journalists—after failing to reconstruct his life—wrote:
“Niko Pirosmani blended into the people so completely that our generation finds it difficult to trace the details of his personal life. His daily existence is so mysterious that he may have to remain without a conventional biography…”

Only a few recollections, many myths and urban legends, and—most importantly—his paintings have survived. Perhaps the paintings are his true autobiography, with a life framed between two question marks.

You’ll learn:

Was there really a "million scarlet roses"?

Why did Pirosmani paint on oilcloth?

Did he really paint tavern walls in exchange for a bowl of soup?

What is “primitive” art, and why is it far more complex than it seems?