The beautiful illustrations presented below were created by Armenian sculptor and artist Yervand Kochar for “Daredevils of Sassoun”, the Armenian national epic, in 1939. While the last image is not from the epic, it is executed in the same style and further demonstrates the brilliant craftsmanship of Kochar.
A prominent sculptor of the 20th century, Yervand Kochar gained fame shortly after settling in Paris in 1923: he invented a genre called “Painting in Space”. In 1936, Kochar repatriated to Soviet Armenia assured that he was leaving Paris for good, even though he was at the peak of his artistic fame.
Among his works are the statues of David of Sassoun (1959), a symbol of Yerevan; of Komitas (1969) in Etchmiadzin; and of Vardan Mamikonian (1975). In 1999, UNESCO marked the centennial of Kochar as one of the “outstanding dates” in worldwide art. In 2010, to mark the 110th anniversary since Kochar’s birth, Armenia’s Union of Artists opened an exhibit dedicated to the artist’s legacy.
by peopleOfAr.com
Ervand Kochar Museum
