Where to see Pirosmani’s largest collection?

If you are in Tbilisi do not miss the chance to be one of the first visitors of the largest collection of Georgia’s most famous self-educated painter - Niko Pirosmani (1862–1918) at Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery in Georgia’s capital.

Nine of Pirosmani’s paintings were added to the permanent collection of Georgian art pieces at the National Gallery, and they’re going on display today.

The pieces were previously kept in storage waiting for an adequate display space. After the National Gallery renovated two new exhibition spaces the collection was enlarged with the new paintings.

In the White Hall of the National Gallery it is now possible to see the following Pirosmani paintings:

1.  Boar
2.  Nurse
3.  Woman with flower and parasol
4.  An ortachaly beauty
5.  Kakhetian train
6.  Carousal at organ-grinder Datiko Zemel
7.  Cock’s family
8.  Easter lamb
9.  Still life

'Easter lamb' is one of 9 art works which goes on display today.Oilcloth, oil,56 x 61. Photo by National Gallery.   

All of the paintings are part of Shalva Amiranashvili Museum of Fine Arts’ collection but will remain on permanent display at the Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery.

Despite being the most famous Georgian painter, many things in the biography of Niko Pirosmani (Pirosmanashvili was his real surname) are still shrouded in mystery.

'Cock’s family' is another painting added to collection today.Oil on cardbroad. 66,5 x 77. Photo by the National Gallery.

Pirosmani is also the most expensive Georgian artist to date. His painting ‘Arsenali Hill at Night’ was bought by Georgia’s former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili at Christie’s auction house for almost $1.5 million USD in June 2015. The painting was donated by the art patron to Georgia’s National Museum.

This year Georgia received a second Pirosmani gift from Ivanishvili. He made the winning offer of £629,000 GBP (about $917,000 USD) at Sotheby’s Auction for the Pirosmani piece ‘Roe Deer Drinking from a Stream’.

Find out the National Gallery’s working hours and address here.