Do not miss the chance to see Pirosmani's 130 piece collection

If you love fine art then Tbilisi is hosting the perfect exhibition for you. More than 100 unique pieces by Georgia's famous self-taught artist Niko Pirosmani are going on display in Georgia's capital this month.

About 130 paintings by the iconic Georgian artist from Georgia’s National Museum and the Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts have been collected for a joint exhibition at Georgia’s National Gallery.

Organisers said the exhibition was being held following special requests by guests. 

The first time an exhibition of this nature was held was in 2012 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Pirosmani, where UNESCO took part according to a decision made at the 36th Session of UNESCO's General Conference.

Pirosmani, born Pirosmanashvili (1862-1918) was a self-taught artist who invented the primitivism painting style. He died in poverty; he was never recognised by his countrymen when he was alive, and fame came to him posthumously.

Today Pirosmani is one of Georgia’s most recognised painters. Although he produced an astonishing number of works, only a few have survived mainly due to the negligence of the owners or the closing of the spaces where the works were initially located, such as cellars, tea rooms, and pubs.

He mostly painted his works for taverns and small shops often in exchange for a cheap lunch or a shot of vodka, rather than money.

Pirosmani's pictures have been exhibited in many galleries and museums around the world, including Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Hungary, Lithuania, Belarus, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Spain and Turkey.

Meanwhile, Pirosmani’s painting Arsenal Hill at Night was sold for almost $1.5 million USD at Christie’s Auction in London this week. The painting was purchased by Georgia’s former Prime Minister, multi-billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who then donated the painting to Georgia’s Museum of Fine Arts.