Hovsep Pushman

Background

Pushman was born in Dikranagerd, Armenian Kingdom (now Diyarbakir, Turkey), on May 9, 1877. Originally, his family name was "Pushmanian." His parents were involved in the carpet business.

Education

Hovsep Pushman showed artistic ability at an early age. When he was 11 he became the youngest student ever admitted to Istanbul's Imperial School of Fine Arts (present-day Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University). In several years Pushman's family emigrated to Chicago. He studied there Chinese culture, plunging himself in Asian art. Pushman began to teach art at the age of 17. He then moved to Paris and attended the Académie Julian (now part of ESAG Penninghen) under the guidance of Jules Joseph Lefebvre, Tony Robert-Fleury and Adolphe Déchenaud.

Career

Pushman displayed his artworks at the Salon des Artistes Français for the first time in 1914. He left Paris for the United States in 1914. In 1916 he moved to Riverside, California, living at the city's Mission Inn until 1919. There he had a number of portrait commissions, including one that still hangs at the inn. In 1918 Hovsep Pushman and a group of California painters established the Laguna Beach Art Association.

Hovsep Pushman then spent several years in Paris. In 1921 he opened his own studio. With the encouragement of Robert-Fleury, the artist concentrated his efforts on exotic portraits and still life of carefully arranged objects he had collected.

In the year 1923, he returned to the United States and settled in New York City. There he exhibited with Grand Central Art Galleries, thanks to his friendship with Erwin Barrie. Barrie introduced Hovsep Pushman to Walter Leighton Clark, who was in the process of founding the Galleries. When Clark obtained place in New York City's Grand Central Terminal, Erwin Barrie was appointed as its director and encouraged Pushman to join the Grand Central Art Galleries. Pushman opened his studio in the Carnegie Hall building, where he created the prominent artworks he showed at the Galleries.

In 1932 Pushman held a solo show at the Galleries. Sixteen of Pushman's paintings were displayed and all sold during the opening day. The prices ranged from $3,500 up to $10,000. The same year his painting The Daughter of the Sheykh was bought by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In 1940 Hovsep Pushman sued the New York Graphic Society for reproducing a painting without his official permission. Initially, the decision was against the painter, but it was eventually reversed; the decision now protects artists' creative artworks.

Pushman had often turned down buyers who were interested in his work. For instance, he once refused an offer of $6,000 for a small canvas. In 1958 the Grand Central Art Galleries were forced out of the Grand Central Terminal. 81-year-old Hovsep Pushman was present at the final reception at the Galleries' Terminal location, which was attended by more than 400 people.

Achievements

• Hovsep Pushman was a distinguished artist. Pushman and his work The Silent order were depicted on a 2002 Armenian stamp.
  
  Pushman won medals for his works at the Salon des Artistes Français in 1914 and 1921. In 1918 Hovsep Pushman was awarded the California Art Club's Ackerman Prize.
  
  Today, his works are in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the National Gallery of Armenia in Yerevan, and the San Diego Museum of Art, among others.

Works

More photos

• painting

  • Still Life. Source of life

  • The sun's rays

  • Still Life. Life golden sunset

  • Kwannon and Horse

  • The Madonna

  • Still Life with Vessel and Figurine

  • Le Philosophe

  • An Idol

  • Confession of a Rose

  • An Elderly Man and A Woman

  • Still Life with Chinese Statue

  • Study for Rayons de Soleil

  • Woman reclining in an interior

  • Rabbi and wife

  • Portrait of a rabbi

  • Harmony in Silver and Green

  • Idyll Fancy, No. 487

  • Eternal Destiny, No. 2

  • Autumn Winds

  • Dancing Girl No. 2

  • The Pilgrim

  • Portrait of a seated girl in red estate

  • Portrait of a smiling seated lady

  • Still Life With Bowl

  • The Moor Musician

  • His Golden Days

  • Still life with gourds

  • The Little Mother

  • The queen and her horse

  • Green Lion of Buddha

Membership

From 1918 Pushman was a member of the Laguna Beach Art Association.

• Laguna Beach Art Association , United States

  1918

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• James Cox: "[Pushman's] paintings typically featured oriental idols, pottery and glassware, all glowing duskily as if illuminated by candlelight. They were symbolic, spiritual paintings, and were sometimes accompanied by readings, which help explain their allegorical significance. Most important, they were exquisitely beautiful, executed with technical precision."

Connections

Hovsep Pushman fathered two sons, Arsen and Armand.

Son:

Arsen Pushman

Son:

Armand Pushman

References

• Paintings by Hovsep Pushman and a Group of New York Artists The book contains images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc.
  2013
• Hovsep Pushman, Luigi Kasimir Features works by Luigi Kasimir and Hovsep Pushman.
  1985