The outstanding representative of Azerbaijani visual arts Togrul Narimanbeyov

Togrul Narimanbeyov, a famous Azerbaijani artist was born on August 7, 1930 in Baku. He graduated from the Azerbaijani State Art School named after A. Azimzadeh in Baku (1950) and from the Lithuanian State Institute of Arts, Vilnius (1955). In 1950 he began to participate in the many art exhibitions. He was elected to be a member of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan (1955), awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (1964), the title of the People’s Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (1967), winner of the State Prize of the USSR (1980) and the Azerbaijan State Prize (1974), awarded the title of the People’s Artist of the USSR (1989), the Orders of “Istiglal” (2000) and Honor (2010).

He is best known for his portraits, landscapes and still lives but actually he is quite successful in different genres including monumental painting, book illustration and theatre design. Among his early works are “Fishermen of the Baltic” (1955), “Dawn at the Caspian” (1957), “For Better Future” (1959), “Stronger than a Storm” (1960), “Happiness” (1961) (which are in the Tretiakovskaya Gallery in Moscow), “Polish Girl” (1961), “Sattar Bahlulzadeh” (1965), “Still Life”, “Pomegranates” (1957), “Pomegranates” (1959), “Pomegranates and Pears” (1961) that are part of the collection of The State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow.

Narimanbeyov uses realistic images and color contrast with domination of conventionality and decorative elements. Not the minor field of his activity is monumental paintings among which such works as hall panel in the Puppet Theatre in Baku (1974) and murals in Moscow Hotel in Baku (1978) are to be mentioned. Among the notable examples of Narimanbeyov's successful work in theatre design are staging of the several outstanding performances including Fikret Amirov's “Nasimi Dastani” (“Nasimi Saga”) (1973), “Min Bir Geja” (“Arabian Nights”) ballets and “Gobustan Kolgalari” (“Shadows of Gobustan”) ballet by Gara Garaev, (1978). Togrul Narimanbeyov passed away on June 2, 2013 in Paris. He was buried in Passi cemetery, located in the center of Paris.

Recommended literature:

1. Səməd, Möhbəddin. Şux rənglərin təranəsi / M. Səməd ; Azərbaycan Respublikası Mədəniyyət və Turizm Nazirliyi. - Bakı : Çağdaş As, 2011. - 240 s.
2. Toğrul Nərimanbəyov : 1930-2013: rəngkarlıq, qrafika = Togrul Narimanbeyov : 1930-2013: painting, graphic arts / layihənin müəl. Ç. Fərzəliyev ; mətnin müəl. Ə. Abdullayeva ; ing. dilinə tərc.: I. Peart, S. İbrahimova, Ə. Məlikova. - Bakı : Şərq-Qərb, 2013. - 104 s.
3. Quliyev, Əsəd Məhəmməd oğlu. XX əsr Azərbaycan incəsənəti haqqında oçerklər / Ə. M. Quliyev ; elmi red. K. M. Əliyeva ; ön sözün müəl. Ö. H. Eldarov ; Azərbaycan Respublikası Mədəniyyət və Turizm Nazirliyi. - Bakı : Təhsil, 2012. - 168 s.