Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

Niko Pirosmani, Krtsanisi, Art Museum of Georgia. Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Niko Pirosmani originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/niko-pirosmani/
Artist’s dates: 1862 – 1918
Original size: 93 x 116 cm
Movement: Primitivism Work by artists without formal training, flat and direct, valued for exactly that freshness.
Held at: Art Museum of Georgia originaluniqueart.com/en/museums/art-museum-of-georgia-tbilisi/

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Niko Pirosmani died in 1918; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1988.

Krtsanisi — Niko Pirosmani

How big is it?

The original measures 93 × 116 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When might this have been painted?

1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 56 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of Niko Pirosmani (1862–1918) every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1906 Main working years: 1906–1915 Late works: from 1915

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Bear hunting originaluniqueart.com/en/art/niko-pirosmani-bear-hunting-D2GTQ8-en/
Bear cub originaluniqueart.com/en/art/niko-pirosmani-bear-cub-D2W2YU-en/
Peasant and his son, 1908 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/niko-pirosmani-peasant-and-his-son-D2GSTQ-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/niko-pirosmani-krtsanisi-D2GTC2-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Espresso #363723

Catalogued palette

#363723
#9EA199
#101214
#696854

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Main colour name: Espresso
Intensity: Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Bold How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Softly Mixed Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Niko Pirosmani over the last twelve months — 10 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 43.5%3,000 visits
2 Germany 13.0%900 visits
3 United States of America 11.6%800 visits
4 Singapore 8.7%600 visits
5 Georgia 7.2%500 visits
6 Hong Kong 5.8%400 visits
7 Japan 4.3%300 visits
8 Russia 2.9%200 visits
9 Lithuania 1.4%100 visits
10 Poland 1.4%100 visits

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 20 most looked-at works by Niko Pirosmani

1 Fisherman in a Red Shirt, 1908 11.8%1,000 visits
2 Giraffe, 1905 4.7%400 visits
3 Beauties of Ortachala (diptych), 1905 4.7%400 visits
4 Bear hunting 4.7%400 visits
5 Georgian woman with children 3.5%300 visits
6 Vintage 3.5%300 visits
7 Fruit stall 3.5%300 visits
8 Gate Keeper, 1905 2.4%200 visits
9 Childless millionaire and the poor with children 2.4%200 visits
10 Bear cub 2.4%200 visits
11 Deer, 1909 2.4%200 visits
12 Still life 2.4%200 visits
13 Religious holiday in Kartli (central Georgia) 2.4%200 visits
14 Rant 2.4%200 visits
15 Man with a horn for drinking wine (Portrait of Meliton Chkheidze), 1906 2.4%200 visits
16 Country Yard 2.4%200 visits
17 Portrait of Alexander Garanov, 1906 1.2%100 visits
18 Actress Margaret, 1909 1.2%100 visits
19 Roe with a Landscape in the Background, 1913 1.2%100 visits
— Krtsanisi this painting 0.0%0 visits

Together these works take 61.6% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 239 works by this artist, of which 52 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

Niko Pirosmani

Born in Mtskheta, Georgia

early life and career

niko pirosmani, a georgian primitivist painter, was born in 1862 in the village of mirzaani, kakheti province. his parents, aslan pirosmanashvili and tekle toklikishvili, were farmers who owned a small vineyard. orphaned at a young age, pirosmani was left in the care of his two elder sisters.

artistic style and themes

pirosmani's artistic style is characterized by its naive and primitivist nature, often depicting everyday scenes of georgian life. his paintings, mostly done on oilcloth, showcase his unique compositional consideration and frontal placements of figures. pirosmani was fond of nature and rural life, rarely employing city landscapes in his work.

notable works and exhibitions

some of pirosmani's notable works include:

musha with a wineskin, a painting showcasing his ability to capture the essence of georgian culture.

georgian wedding, a representation of traditional georgian wedding ceremonies.

portrait of zhdanevich, a portrait of the russian poet mikhail le-dantyu, which won the enthusiasm of kirill zdanevich and his brother ilia zdanevich.

these works have been exhibited in various museums, including: the museum of ryazan regional art (russia) and the lugansk regional art museum (ukraine), both featuring on the primitivism art movement page on AllPaintingsStore.

legacy and posthumous recognition

pirosmani's life was marked by poverty, but his posthumous recognition has been significant. his work has been celebrated in various exhibitions, including the first big exhibition of georgian painters in 1918. today, his paintings are shown in the art museum of georgia and the historical-ethnographic museum of sighnaghi, with over 350,000 viewers. view niko pirosmani's artworks on AllPaintingsStore read more about niko pirosmani on wikipedia

Museum

Art Museum of Georgia

On show in Tbilisi, Georgia

A Sanctuary of Soul and Stone

Nestled within the vibrant, pulsing heart of Tbilisi, the

Art Museum of Georgia

stands as a profound testament to a nation’s enduring artistic soul. Housed in a beautifully preserved neoclassical edifice that once echoed with the scholarly pursuits of the Tbilisi Theological Seminary, the museum offers much more than a mere gallery space; it is a sanctuary where history and creativity converge. To step through its doors is to embark on a journey through time, moving from the sacred whispers of medieval manuscripts to the bold, expressive strokes of modern masters. The architecture itself, with its stately presence near Freedom Square, provides a dignified stage for a collection that reflects Georgia’s unique position as a cultural crossroads between the East and the West.

The museum’s true heartbeat lies in its unparalleled dedication to Georgian identity. Visitors are often moved by the raw, hauntingly beautiful landscapes of

Niko Pirosmani

, whose canvases capture the quiet dignity and rustic honesty of rural life with an almost spiritual intensity. One cannot help but feel a sense of reverence when standing before his works, such as

“Fisherman in a Red Shirt,”

where the simplicity of subject matter belies a profound emotional depth. This national narrative is further enriched by the monumental frescoes of Gigo Gabashvili and the evocative, often grotesque, yet deeply contemplative creations of Vladimir Lado Gudiashvili. These works do not merely depict scenes; they capture the very essence of the Georgian spirit, blending tradition with an avant-garde sensibility that continues to captivate contemporary observers.

A Global Dialogue of Color and Craft

Beyond the borders of Georgia, the museum serves as a magnificent window into the splendor of the Silk Road and the brilliance of the Russian Silver Age. The collection offers an opulent glimpse into Persian Qajar miniatures, featuring graceful beauties and regal shahs that reveal a world of sophisticated elegance and intricate detail. This dialogue between cultures is mirrored in the museum’s selection of Russian art, where the luminous color palettes of Konstantin Korovin and the theatrical, dynamic designs of Lev Bakst bring the intellectual ferment of the Silver Age to life. For the collector or interior designer, these pieces represent more than historical artifacts; they are masterclasses in color, movement, and decorative elegance.

What truly distinguishes the Art Museum of Georgia is its living connection to the present. While it guards a vast treasury that includes precious metalwork, jewelry, and enamels returned from exile, the museum remains a dynamic participant in the global art conversation. Through rotating exhibitions that pair established masters with emerging talents, the institution ensures that its halls are never static. It is a place where the ancient and the contemporary breathe the same air, fostering an environment of continuous discovery. Whether one is drawn by the scholarly allure of medieval craftsmanship or the striking aesthetic of modernism, the museum offers an immersive experience that inspires awe and invites deep, personal reflection.

Where to read more

The artist Niko Pirosmani originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/niko-pirosmani/
The museum Art Museum of Georgia originaluniqueart.com/en/museums/art-museum-of-georgia-tbilisi/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/niko-pirosmani-krtsanisi-D2GTC2-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Krtsanisi

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/niko-pirosmani-krtsanisi-D2GTC2-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Pirosmani, Niko. Krtsanisi. n.d., Art Museum of Georgia. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/niko-pirosmani-krtsanisi-D2GTC2-en/
APA: Pirosmani, Niko (n.d.). Krtsanisi [Painting]. Art Museum of Georgia. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/niko-pirosmani-krtsanisi-D2GTC2-en/
Chicago: Niko Pirosmani. Krtsanisi. n.d. Art Museum of Georgia. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/niko-pirosmani-krtsanisi-D2GTC2-en/
Harvard: Pirosmani, Niko (n.d.) Krtsanisi. Art Museum of Georgia. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/niko-pirosmani-krtsanisi-D2GTC2-en/

Krtsanisi — Niko Pirosmani

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Look back at Bear hunting, earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Primitivism: Work by artists without formal training, flat and direct, valued for exactly that freshness. Where can you see that in this work?
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

Who sells hand-painted copies of "Krtsanisi" by Niko Pirosmani?

You can order a hand-painted reproduction of "Krtsanisi" by Niko Pirosmani directly on its Hand-Painted Reproduction page: a hand-painted oil reproduction on linen canvas, made to order.

Where can I buy a digital image of "Krtsanisi" by Niko Pirosmani?

"Krtsanisi" is available as a high-resolution digital image download, purchased directly on its Digital Image page.

Is "Krtsanisi" by Niko Pirosmani kept in the artist's home country?

Yes - the artwork is kept in the artist's home country. Niko Pirosmani was born in Georgia, and the original "Krtsanisi" is held in a museum in Georgia.