Amiranashvili Shalva
Shalva Amiranashvili (b. April 7, 1899, Oni Municipality – d. February 9, 1975, Tbilisi) was an art historian, one of the founders of Georgian Art Studies, corresponding member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (1943), Honored Scientist of Georgia (1959). Member of the National Committee of Museums of the USSR and the International Council of Museums (1957).
In 1922, he graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy of Tbilisi State University (TSU). His teachers were I. Javakhishvili, E. Takaishvili, A. Shanidze, K. Kekelidze, G. Chubinashvili. In Moscow and Petrograd (currently Saint Petersburg) he studied Byzantine and Russian art under the guidance of D. Ainalov, F. Schmitt (1923–1925). After returning to Georgia, he was the head of the Departments of History and Theory of Art at TSU in 1932–1975, he was the head of the Departments of History and Theory of Art at Tbilisi State Academy of Arts in 1932–1954, and since 1936 — Doctor of Arts and a professor.
In 1939–1975, Amiranashvili was the director of the Art Museum of Georgia. In 1945, he was sent to Paris to return the national treasure taken in 1921 to his homeland. Amiranashvili studied architecture, wall painting, miniatures, engraving, was interested in modern painting, worked in the fields of Byzantine, Russian, Iranian art in addition to Georgian art.
Amiranashvili is the author of approximately 200 works, the most distinguished of which is History of Georgian Art (1944). His works have been published in Russian and many European languages. Amiranashvili's works are characterized by a wide range of research, abundance of factual material, generalizing conclusions. Amiranashvili made a great contribution to the protection and collection of monuments of the material culture of the Georgian people. He was a member of the Asia Society France.
He has received state prizes.
Amiranashvili is buried at the Didube Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures in Tbilisi.
The Art Museum of Georgia was named after Shalva Amiranashvili in 1990.
Literary work: უბისი, ტფ., 1929; ბექა ოპიზარი, თბ., 1956; ვეფხისტყაოსანი ძველ ქართულ ხელოვნებაში, თბ., 1968; საქართველოდან სხვადასხვა დროს გატანილი სამუზეუმო განძეულობა და მისი დაბრუნება, თბ., 1968 (გამოც. მე-2, თბ., 1978); ქართული ხელოვნების ისტორია, თბ., 1971 (რუს. ენაზე – 1963); ხახულის კარედი, თბ., 1972; დამიანე. XIV ს. ქართველი მხატვარი, თბ., 1974 (გამოც. მე-2, თბ., 1980); Иранская станковая живопись Тб., 1940; Иранская живопись XVIII–XIX вв., Тб., 1941; История грузинской монументальной живописи, т. 1, Тб., 1957; Грузинская миниатюра, М., 1966; Пиросманашвили, М., 1967; Les émaux de Géorgie, P., 1962.
A. Chkhartishvili
