Akhvlediani Elene

Elene Akhvlediani [5 (18) April 1901, Telavi – 30 December 1975, Tbilisi] was a painter, graphic artist, and theater, cinema artist, the People's Artist of Georgia (1960) and the winner of the Rustaveli State Prize (1971).

In 1922, she studied at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts. She was a student of G. Gabashvili. That same year she was sent abroad and continued her studies in Paris at the Colarossi Academy (1922–27). She returned to Georgia in 1927. Akhvlediani’s clear individuality and originality were expressed in all genres of painting. Her contributions to the Georgian landscape painting are particularly significant. She painted scenes of Georgian nature and cityscapes, which are distinguished by their emotionality, romanticism and richness of color. The paintings dedicated to the old districts of Tbilisi, Sighnaghi, and Telavi are made with particular love and adoration. Her significant paintings include: "Old Tbilisi" (1924, private collection, Tbilisi), "Kakheti-Winter" (1924, National Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi), "Old Tbilisi" (1926, private collection, Paris), "One Corner of Paris" (1926, National Museum of Arts of Georgia, Tbilisi), "Telavi" (1927, private collection, Tbilisi), "Alazani Valley" (1954), "Imereti" (1956, both in the National Picture Gallery, Tbilisi), "Autumn" (1959, private collection, Tbilisi), and others.

Akhvlediani made significant contributions to scenography in Georgia. She began working as a theater artist in 1928 at the K. Marjanishvili Theater (Kutaisi) and continued throughout her entire life. She made designs for 72 theatre plays in Tbilisi and other Georgian cities, as well as theaters in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, and Kharkov. Her important works include Z. Paliashvili’s “Abesalom and Eteri” (1942–43, Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater), Z. Antonov’s “The Eclipse of the Sun in Georgia” (1932–33, K. Marjanishvili Theater), J. Puccini’s “La Bohème” (1944–45, Moscow Tchaikovsky State Opera Studio), J. Verdi’s “Ballo in Maschera” (1955–56, Kiev Shevchenko State Opera and Ballet Theater), and others. Akhvlediani also worked productively in book illustration. She made illustrations for Vaja-Pshavela’s stories and poems, Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” H. Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha,” Victor Hugo’s novel “The Man Who Laughs,” D. Kasradze’s fairy tale “The Woman-Butterfly” and others.

Tbilisi’s Children's Picture Gallery is named in her honor. She has received state awards.

Literature: ახვლედიანი. კატალოგი, თბ., 1960; ელენე ახვლედიანი. კატალოგი, თბ., 1965; ელენე ახვლედიანი. ალბომი, შემდგ. ვ. ჭიაურელი, ტექსტის ავტ. ე. პრივალოვა, თბ., 1980; კარბელაშვილი მ., ე. ახვლედიანი, თბ., 1980; ურუშაძე ნ., ელენე ახვლედიანი თეატრში, თბ., 1968.

M. Karbelashvili