Career
Hakob Hovnatanyan was the fifth generation from the Hovnatanian family. He succeeded the patriarch of the family Naghash Hovnatan (1661–1722), a famous poet and painter. Naghash lived in Caucasus in the Safavid era.
Hovnatanyan received his training from Mkrtum Hovnatanyan, his father, and painted the walls of some churches with his father in Armenia and Tiflis in his youth.
After that he was notably considered by Georgian media. His masterpieces were created from 1840 to 1850.
Sergei Parajanov Georgian-born Armenian film director made a short documentary about him in 1967 entitled Hakbo Hovatanyan. He became interested in Persian art in his late life which was new for him and people in the Caucasus.
He moved to Iran because of recession in Tiflis and to acquire new experiences.
He went to his daughter"s home who lived in Tabriz and after one year moved to Tehran and went to Naser al-Din Shah Qajar palace. Shortly after he was awarded a Courtesy title as an honorific scientific sign and also name of Naghshbashi, that means master of painters. He stayed in Iran till his death in 1881 and he was buried in Saint George Church in Tehran
The portrait of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and the portrait of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar.
A crater on the planet Mercury is named after Hakob Hovnatanian.