Schmerling Oscar

Schmerling Oscar (1863-1938), Painter, graphic artist. Offspring of German colonists. One of the founders of the ‘Society for Promotion of Caucasian Fine Arts’. He was born in Tbilisi. O. Schmerling studied at Tbilisi non-classical secondary school. From 1884 he continued his studies at Petersburg Academy of Art. In 1891 – 93 he upgraded his skills in Munich. Upon his return to Tbilisi in 1893, he was employed as the director of Tbilisi Art School (1893) and later - the principal of the School of Painting and Sculpture (1902 – 18). Starting from 1921, he was engaged in educational work at the newly founded Tbilisi Academy of Art. There he taught outstanding Georgian artists (among them – Lado Gudiashvili). ‘We, Schmerlings, are native Tbilisians’. My father is a Georgian painter’, Oscar Schmerling’s daughter - Rene Schmerling used to say. Oscar Schmerling was one of the pioneers of Georgian caricature. His cartoons were published in the picture supplement to Otsnebis Purtseli (Dream Leaflet). He collaborated with the magazines Devil’s Whip and Satan’s Spawn. He painted landscapes, battle scenes and genre pictures. In his series of pictures of Tbilisi, he portrayed everyday life of the city, its customs and habits. Among his genre pictures - Pipe Players, Two City Dwellers (private ownership), etc. - stand out thanks to their vividness.

O. Schmerling also contributed to the advance of Georgian book illustrations. Most considerable among his illustrations are his drawings for children’s books: Mother Tongue (ABC Book) by I. Gogebashvili (etched by G. Tatishvili, 1895), What the Lullaby Did (1904), Fairy Tales (Publication of Georgian Women’s Circle, 1905), etc.

Oscar Schmerling died in Tbilisi.