Azim Azimzade

Azim Aslan oghlu Azimzade (; 7 May 1880 – 15 June 1943) was an Azerbaijani artist, satirist, and caricaturist. He was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1927.

Biography

Azim Azimzade was born on 7 May 1880 in the village of Novxanı in the Baku Governorate of the Russian Empire, which is now present-day Azerbaijan. in 1906, he began publishing paintings concerning social and political issues in magazines, which represented the beginning of Azerbaijani satirical graphic art. Azimzade also actively participated in the Russian Revolution of 1905 and was the manager of the Department of Cultural Enlightenment of the People's Commissariat of Azerbaijan.

After the revolution, Azimzade published a variety of works, including a book, easel graphics, book illustrations, paintings for satirical magazines and newspapers, drafts of costumes, decorations, political caricatures and posters. Nearly half of all the posters made by Azimzade contained anti-religious themes, however he also drew posters with a more political theme, such as one published in 1925 which portrays a peasant with a fork throwing a plunderer of the nation's property away from a village.

His development of caricatures is closely related to the satirical Molla Nasraddin magazine, which was founded under ideas of the first Russian Revolution in 1905 and subsequently revived after the Russian Revolution in 1917. Azimzade worked closely with editor Jalil Mammadguluzadeh and published many illustrations and would become the chief artist of Molla Nasraddin.

Azimzade created 56 colored lithographs for the collected works of poet Mirza Alakbar Sabir, A street in Baku, a museum, and the Artistic School of Azerbaijan, where Azimzade once taught and was director from 1932 to 1937, were all named in his honor. In 2002, a monument to Azimzade was erected near Heydar Aliyev Palace in Baku.

Gallery