Sumbat Der Kiureghian

Sumbat Der Kiureghian (Armenian: Սմբատ Տէր-Կիւրեղեան; October 19, 1913 – June 9, 1999) was a 20th-century Iranian–Armenian watercolor artist.

Biography Sumbat Der Kiureghian was born on October 19, 1913, in New Julfa (the Iranian city of Isfahan's Armenian quarter), in the family of Hovhannes Der Kiureghian and Tagouhi Haroutunian. Hovhannes was an auctioneer of specialty items and a watch repairman who died in 1915. Sumbat was raised by his mother, Tagouhi. Sumbat's grandfather Kiuregh served as a priest at the Sourb Hovhannes Church in New Julfa. The family took his priesthood name as their last name – Der Kiureghian ("Der" is the honorific title of a priest).

Career Sumbat received his early education in the Armenian school in New Julfa. In 1924, he exhibited his paintings at a school contest and won a prize. His art teachers at school were Yeghia Yegijanian and Hacop Vardanian. After graduating in 1929, Sumbat attended the Stuart Memorial English College for boys in Isfahan, where he learned English, Persian, and other subjects. Later, he enrolled in the art classes of Sarkis Khachadourian. Seeing Sumbat's abilities, Khachadourian recruited him as an apprentice to help him with his work. The experience had a tremendous influence on Sumbat, who opened his first studio on Charbagh Avenue at the age of seventeen. He used the studio both as a workplace and an exhibition hall. He also produced more popular handicraft items, such as painted vases and lampshades decorated with caravan scenes, and made designs of carpets. Sumbat's studio was a hangout for friends, and a group of them formed a musical band, in which Sumbat played the drums. In 1933, Sumbat closed his studio and entered compulsory military service. After completing military service in 1935, Sumbat opened his second studio on Charbagh Avenue – Negarestan-eh Sumbat (Sumbat's Art Studio). By the time he graduated from college, Sumbat had greatly improved his skills as a watercolorist with light and easy brushwork, pure and translucent colors.

Sumbat preferred exhibiting his paintings in his studio. He first participated in a formal exhibition of paintings in April 1944 at the Anglo-Persian Institute in Isfahan. His next exhibition was in February 1948 in Abadan, where all exhibited paintings were sold and Sumbat received many commissions.

Stanley Foster, an English consulting engineer for the AIOC and an amateur artist, had a profound influence on Sumbat's career. He offered Sumbat to fund a six-month journey through the Middle East and Europe to England. On June 18, 1949, Sumbat and Stanley began their journey from Abadan, and traveling through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon they arrived in Naples, Italy by boat, then went on to Rome, Florence, Venice and Paris, arriving in London on August 13. During their travels they visited museums and historical sites and made numerous sketches and paintings. Sumbat was able to observe the works of great impressionists such as Monet, Degas and Pissarro, postimpressionists such as Cézanne, Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh, and renowned British watercolorist J. M. W. Turner, who remained his favorites all his life.

Sumbat and Stanley enrolled in the Anglo-French Art Centre in London, where Sumbat received his first formal training. In London, they visited art galleries, museums and artists. Upon seeing Sumbat's watercolors, British watercolorist Sir W. Russell Flint declared him "brother in brush."

Sumbat Studios and Gallery 1930–1971: Charbagh Avenue, Isfahan, Iran 1971–1980: Karimkhan Zand Avenue, Tehran, Iran 1981–1999: Brand Boulevard, Glendale, California, USA

Family On December 22, 1942, Sumbat married Arax Aftandilian. They had three children: Siroush (1945), Armen (1947), and Tagoush (1959).