Curated by
Vigen Galstyan

Exhibition Dates:
Aug. 21 – Oct. 4, 2026

Since its invention in 1839, photography has maintained a fascinating dialogue with painting, drawing, and sculpture. At the same time, it has transformed the way artists themselves are seen, remembered, and imagined.

"The Artist as Image" traces the changing image of the artist through photographic portraiture, from the late 19th century to the present. Drawing on the National Gallery of Armenia’s rich collection of photographs from Armenia, Europe, and the United States, the exhibition explores how the artist evolved from a private individual into a public and cultural figure — and eventually into a carefully constructed image.

The exhibition features more than 50 portraits of artists, including Hovhannes Aivazovsky, Hakob Gyurjian, Georgette Chen, Martiros Sarian, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Sergei Parajanov, Armine Galentz, Minas Avetisyan, and many others.

From early studio portraits and images of artistic “genius” to contemporary photographs that raise questions of identity, and representation, the exhibition invites us to look beyond the likeness of the artist and consider how photography has continually reshaped cultural understanding of who an artist can be.