Gvelesiani, Romanoz

Born in 1859 in the village of Shalauri, in present-day Telavi Raion; died Nov. 30, 1884, in Tbilisi. A painter and graphic artist; one of the founders of Georgian realism in the second half of the 19th century.

Gvelesiani studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Art (1881-84). His portraits are of particular significance. They are rich in color and give a sensitive rendering of the sitter’s mood (The Artist A. Beridze, 1882; The Artist G. Gabashvili, Kakhetian Holding a Pitcher, and Portrait of a Classmate—all 1883; and Portrait of K. Magalashvili, 1884). Gvelesiani’s numerous drawings in charcoal and ink include landscapes and representations of common people. All of his works are in the Art Museum of the Georgian SSR in Tbilisi.