Famous Azerbaijani painter Narimanbekov dies at 82
By Nazrin Gadimova
Azerbaijani culture is experiencing a bereavement with the loss of outstanding painter Togrul Narimanbekov, who died at the age of 82 on June 8, leaving behind an abundant legacy of contemporary painting art.
Togrul Narimanbekov was winner of state prizes of the USSR and Azerbaijan Republic, People's Artist of the USSR and Azerbaijan, and pensioner of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic.
Narimanbekov was born in 1930 in Baku. He graduated from Azerbaijan Art College named after Azim Azimzade in 1950 and Art Institute in Lithuania in 1955.
The keynote of Narimanbekov's creative work was endless love for his home country and his hometown. With great affection he painted such historic monuments as the Old City, Maiden Tower in Baku and the lacy minarets of ancient mosques.
His first work, "Dawn over the Caspian Sea", created in 1957 and presented at an exhibition in Moscow, made him famous. "Dawn over the Caspian Sea" amazed and captivated art lovers with its extraordinary approach to the subject of labor, romantic elation, distinctive personal pictorial language, and the sincerity of images. The triumph was further relived at exhibitions in Kiev, Riga and Tbilisi, as well as in foreign countries. The success of this painting was continued by the creation of such works as "Farther out to sea," "Overpass" and "Stronger than the storm." His landscapes are not just colorful, bright and decorative, they also reflect the artist's extraordinary love for his native land.
His romantic paintings, which are full of rich colors, lacked illusory and false pathos, and easily and naturally shifted into the category of panoramic wall paintings: Narimanbekov designed the Milli Majlis (parliament), Puppet Theater, and the Moscow hotel.
In his still-life paintings everything is expressive and large-scale: huge-size pomegranates, pumpkins, melons and watermelons. He did not allow himself to draw small paintings depicting miniature abundance.
Narimanbekov's house was always full of guests, including friends, acquaintances, foreign artists, collectors and government officials. To the high-ranking guests who visited Azerbaijan, the great artist was introduced as "the icon of Azerbaijani culture".
One of the greatest achievements of the artist is his role in the creation of Azerbaijani classical painting during the hard and painful period of socialist realism, which allowed Azerbaijan to define its cultural identity and originality. The painter's artistic language is so versatile and rich that it is extremely difficult to attribute it to any specific trend in art.
His path of creativity was not always easy. He didn't always choose the easy road, consciously opting to face the "thorns". And today, many art historians studying his works call him an innovator.
The portraits, landscapes and still life paintings drawn by Narimanbekov are displayed in prestigious exhibitions, art galleries and art museums, and are kept in various private collections.
His creations are decorative and festive, based on a pallet going back to the national traditions of Azerbaijani art color rhythm, and stand out for their lively brushstrokes and sonority of colors.
Narimanbekov always deemed it necessary for the art to return to the origins of the national culture. He described his works as a combination of abstract and figurative art.
Narimanbekov lived a rich and creative life that was full of experiences and managed to keep the utmost clarity of perception, and remained committed to his own principles of internal freedom, objectivity and independence of views.