Armenian artist, Ariel (Haroutin) Agemian’s “reproduction of Christ from The Shroud of Turin, is considered the most exact by experts in the scientific research field,” writes a blogger at PeopleOfAr (click on the picture at right for a larger image).
But there is much more in this posting. It is a wonderful sampling of Agemian’s religious and non-religious art. There is another painting of Christ that looks quite different and is very interesting.
From the blog entry that you must see:
Armenian artist, Ariel (Haroutin) Agemian is an artist-writer with the dual expression of idealist and materialistic art. He was always the artist who demonstrated the myriad of experiences and appearances in the existence of life. Ariel was born in Brussa, Turkey. At the age of five he witnessed the Massacre of Armenians and the death of his father. He was then separated from his mother and brother and taken by the Mekhitarist Monks to Rome and soon onto Venice where he was educated until he was 18 years old. He received the degree of “Maestro d’Arte and a full professorship in art from the Academie of Fine Arts in Venice and a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Padua, Italy. In 1937 he came to America. Agemian was a representative of the school of academic realism and a skillful master of composition. During his artistic career in Europe he received two Gold Medals in art, from the “Association Artistiques” in Venice and the “Artistes Critiques” in Paris. He has painted national themes reflecting the ancient as well as the contemporary history of the Armenian people. Agemian was also a portraitist and a landscapist. He has painted murals with spiritual as well as secular themes. They can be found in Armenian and Eastern Rite Catholic Churches in France, Italy, Turkey, and in America in Belmont, Roxbury and Indian Orchard Massachusetts, and Philadelphia and Wynnewood Pennsylvania. In addition to those works, there are paintings in the Mekhitarist College in Venice, the Monastery on the Island of San Lazzaro and also several homes of friends in the USA.
Yes, I love that blog page. There are some very beautiful religious works there. The little girl with her prayer book is precious: it looks like a photo.
I don’t think I’ve seen Ariel Agemian’s Christ from the Shroud, before. Or if I did, the JPG wasn’t very good quality. I do think he nailed it… I’m somewhat artistic myself so I can almost visualize the face of Christ by looking at photos of the shroud. Not that I could paint it, I don’t think I could. But I can “see” it, and his painting is very remarkable, IMO.
Thank you for posting that. Whenever I googled for Ariel Agemian’s painting, all I ever got was images of the Shroud itself. So I’m very glad to see some of Agemian’s work.
From my perspective, this depiction of Jesus is the more awesome ever made. This artist was surely a great spiritual person because he has been able to capture the mix of devine and human nature of Jesus-Christ. The eyes are particularly striking ! I have this portrait in my room and, like the Shroud, I can say that it is a fine help for my meditation… And because this portrait come directly from the Shroud, for me, it is even more precious ! A real spiritual masterpiece, no less.
I am so pleased to read your posts! My father, if alive, would be as pleased to know and to witness the appreciation given for his work. I direct you to the newly published site. http://www.agemianpaintings.com
I have a good news for you Annig ! Your father is alive and well with the man he did the portrait ! :-) And he know full well now all the appreciation we have for his work and all the good his artwork has done over the years !!!!
Thank you!