There are a lot of different talented artist in Azerbaijan
but the most famous among them are Tahir Salahov, Sattar
Bahlulzade and Togrul Narimanbeyov.
Tahir Salahov (1928) is famous Azeri painter, whose work
as are very well known in Azerbaijan. He has his own style
distinguished from other painters. In his works red is a
color that is vividly used. It is great for accenting specific
objects-whether it is naturally red objects such as chili
peppers, pomegranates or books, or objects not normally
associated with red such as an oil tanker, an oil pipeline,
a man's shirt, a windmill or even the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
In Tahir's early work, apart from this touch of red, the
remainder of his canvas was typically spread with neutral
tones ranging from light gray and beige to darker shades
of olive, brown and black. Take away the red, which obviously
was associated with Communism, and the painting loses its
dramatic edge. Among his works are paintings "New Sea",
"Morning Train", "Reservoir Park", "The
Maintenance Men", "Oil Worker", "The
Shift is Over", "Women of Absheron", "Still
Life with pomegranates" and others.
Sattar Bahlulzade(1909-1974) is another famous Azeri artist.
He is known for developing his own unique style of painting
landscapes. His style was surreal and cosmic; some of his
paintings are reminiscent of photos of the earth taken from
space. Using a combination of pastel colors and bold strokes,
he made nature look more colorful and lively, and sometimes
even more fantastic, than it did in reality. Bahlulzade's
famous works are"Babak's Revolt", "The Tears
of Kapaz", "The Shamakhi Vineyards", "The
Wish of the Land", "Bazarduzu Outskirts",
"Old Shamakhi", "Autumn in Nakhchivan"
and others.
Another Azeri artist whose paintings were mainly about nature
was Togrul Narimanbeyov. In his paintings he uses pale colors
to describe different stages of Azeri nature. His main works
are "The Panorama of Old Nakhchivan," "In
the Summer Pasture," "The Way Leading to Zagatala"
and "In Goychay Gardens," "In the Name of
Life."
Carpets
Carpet-making is one of the ancient fields of the decorative-applied
art of Azerbaijan. According to archeological excavations
in the territory of Azerbaijan and to literature sources,
carpet-making had been conceived in ancient times. Carpet
and carpe-ware made in Azerbaijan had repeatedly been glorified
in historical books, classic and folk literature. Magically
playing, the colors of carpets absorbed ruby brightness
of pomegranate, golden brilliance of quince, copper of saffron
and lilac tints of grapes. Inexhaustible richness of colors,
unique beauty interlacement of patterns, flight of artistic
fantasy and consummate skill - that is Azerbaijan carpet.
According to the historical sources, Azerbaijan was one
of the most important centers of pile and flat-woven carpets
production in the East in Middle Ages. Facts confirm that
north-eastern part of Azerbaijan was a center of high quality
carpets production in the VI-VII centuries. Descriptions
of the carpets are met in Azerbaijan classical literature
as well especially in the masterpieces of great Azerbaijan
poets as Gatran Tabrizi ( XI century), Nizami Ganjevi, Khagani
Shirvani ( XII century) and others. In the XIII century
Venicean traveller Marko Polo wrote: " there are many
skillful masters, producing textile, carpet and sabres widespread
all over the world in Azerbaijan". In the second has
of the XV centuries Azerbaijan carpet-making began to use
golden and silver threads, precious stones in silk carpets.
In the XIII-XIV centuries Azerbaijan jewelry and carpets
attracted European, especially Venice merchants. And it's
not casually, that we can find Azerbaijan carpets on the
canvases of the famous European artist. We can observe them
on the picture " Ambassadors" of Gans Golbein
; well-known Netherlandian artist Yan Van Eik painted his
picture "Madonne of the Canon Van der Pale" with
the Azerbaijan carpet "Kuba" on its background.
According to the technology and artistic decision Azerbaijan
carpets can be divided into two types " flat-woven
and pile carpets.
There are 7 methods of technique of flat-woven carpet-weaving,
which resemble tapestry, at the same time there are only
two methods of pile carpet-weaving. Each Azerbaijan district
is famous for its own original carpets and carpe-ware peculiar
for the given zone. Palas, Jejim, Shedde, Kilim, Zili, Varni
and others are considered to be Azerbaijan flat-woven carpets.
Since ancient times carpe-making in Azerbaijan was women
business, who cautiously shared their experience from generation
to generation.
Composition, ornamentation and artistic methods were closed
and clear to every carpet-maker, no matter how complicated
they were.
