Tumanyan's 'hidden' portrait: a discovery from NGA archives

February 19 marks the birthday of prominent Armenian writer Hovhannes Tumanyan, revered as the Poet of All Armenians. To celebrate the day, the National Gallery of Armenia (NGA) presents a remarkable story that has remained hidden in its vaults for decades.

For years, this small watercolor study (1900s) was believed to be a self-portrait by Harutyun Shamshinyan and was kept in one of the gallery’s secondary storage sections. However, during research conducted in January 2026 (Researcher: Vigen Galstyan), the unexpected happened: it was revealed that the subject is not the artist himself, but his great compatriot Hovhannes Tumanyan.

This is a rapid sketch from life, where Shamshinyan successfully captured the nuance of Tumanyan’s character and the warmth radiating from his smiling eyes. The poet’s features and his favorite jacket are recognizable at first glance. It is one of the earliest known artistic depictions of Hovhannes Tumanyan (if not the earliest), from a time before his face became a definitive icon of 20th-century Armenian culture.

This exceptional work is now being presented to the public for the first time as a portrait of the poet within the framework of the exhibition "Museum Work: Discoveries".