Najafgulu

Najafgulu Abdulrahim oghlu Ismayilov (, March 15, 1923–March 25, 1990) was an Azerbaijani painter, graphic artist, Honored Art Worker of the Azerbaijan.

Biography Najafgulu Ismayilov was born on March 15, 1923, in Baku. He studied at the Azerbaijan State Art School in 1936–1940, but was unable to continue his higher education due to the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. From 1952 to 1979, he worked as a chief artist in the satirical magazine "Kirpi".

Najafgulu Ismayilov married the artist Gullu Mustafayeva in 1949. He is the father of organist Rana Ismayilova and violinist Sevinj Ismayilova. He died on March 25, 1990, in Baku.

Career Throughout his career, the artist worked as a graphic artist and painter. He created cartoons, caricatures and other graphic works for the satirical magazine "Kirpi", worked on paintings and posters, drew illustrations to the stories of Jalil Mammadguluzadeh, "Hophopname" by Mirza Alakbar Sabir.

The portrait genre has an important place in his work. His works of this kind include "Gubali Fatali khan" (1947), "General Hazi Aslanov" (1949), "Sara Ashurbeyli" (1951), "Poet Mirza Ali Mojuz" (1954), "Writer Abdulla Shaig" (1955)., "Mother" (1967), "Writer Jalil Mammadguluzadeh" (1967), "Poet Samad Vurgun" (1967), "Academician Mikayil Useynov" (1972), "Sattar Bahlulzade" (1973), "Uzeyir Hajibeyov" (1975), "Nasreddin Tusi" and other portraits.

His works in the genre of plot paintings and landscapes include "Grand Opera" (1960), "Street in the Old City" (1960), "Happiness" (1970), "Realist Artist" and others. He had opened solo exhibitions in Baku, Moscow and Leningrad, where several albums of his paintings and illustrations for books have been displayed. In 1970–1982, the artist also made copper bas-reliefs of Fuzuli, Mirza Alakbar Sabir, Uzeyir Hajibeyov. His works have been exhibited in exhibition halls in Germany, Canada, Lebanon, Russia and other countries. Many of the artist's paintings for "Kirpi" magazine were exhibited at an international laughter competition in the 1970s in Gabrovo, Bulgaria.

Awards Honored Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR — April 12, 1963 Medal "For Distinguished Labour" — June 9, 1959