Armenian painters in the Ottoman Empire. 2 volumes set.

Istanbul: Matusalem Publications, 2004. 1st Edition . Soft cover. New. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. Original bdg. Dust wrapper. In the original slipcase. Folio. (33 x 24 cm). Edition in English. 2 volumes set: (988 p.), 1600 color ills. and many plates. This lavishly illustrated, deeply researched, two volume collection is the outcome of 15 years of exploration into Armenian painters, both amateur and professional, who were born in the Ottoman Empire. The book contains condensed biographies of artists, even those for whom it was impossible to find any existing paintings. It also features several paintings for which no biographical information on the artist could be found. The collection features extensive study of the styles and signatures used by the painters, who were all born in the Ottoman Empire but ended up scattered throughout the world. The author made efforts to contact the artists' families when possibly, sought information in church records and obituaries, and explored the archives of Armenian and Ottoman Turkish newspapers. The books include details on roughly 450 Armenian painters born in the Ottoman Empire from the 17th century until 1923. A true labor of love, this work's collection of glorious color photographs brings to life the skilled Armenian artists who once populated modern day Turkey. This is a treasure of information and beauty collected in one beautiful, boxed, two-book set. By the same researcher and author who produced the wonderfully detailed books Anatolian Weights and Measures and Ottoman Silver Marks.