Togrul Farman oglu Narimanbekov (Azerbaijani: Toğrul Fərman oğlu Nərimanbəyov, Russian: Тогрул Нариманбеков; 7 August 1930 – 2 June 2013) was one of the prominent modern Azerbaijani artists, laureate of the State Prizes of the USSR and the Azerbaijan SSR, the People's Artist of the USSR and Azerbaijan, and a personal benefactor of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
His works are exhibited in various museums and galleries around the world, including the "France Gallery" in France, the "Museum of Modern Art" in Germany (Cologne), the "Art Museum" in Germany (Hagen), the "Museum of Modern Art" in Poland (Warsaw), the "National Air and Space Museum" in the USA (Washington), the "Museum of Modern National Art" in Hungary (Budapest), the "Museum of Modern National Art" in Bulgaria (Sofia), the "Russian National Museum" in Russia (St. Petersburg), the "Tretyakov Gallery" in Russia (Moscow), the "Museum of the Peoples of the East" in Russia (Moscow), and the "Glinka Composer Museum" in Russia (Moscow).
Togrul Narimanbekov is the only Azerbaijani artist mentioned in the "Encyclopedia of Modern Fine Arts in France." In this book, his name is listed alongside other world-famous artists.
In addition to being a skilled painter, Togrul Narimanbekov was also a vocal artist and poet. He performed arias from classical operas, especially the works of Italian composers. In 1996, the painter held major concerts at the "Kirkha" concert hall in Baku, in 1998 at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, and in 2000 at the "Oratoria di San Rosso" hall in Bologna, Italy.
Togrul Ferman oglu Narimanbekov was born on August 7, 1930, in Baku. His grandfather, Amirbey Narimanbekov, was a lawyer who had been in exile during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II. He held lesson in Kyiv. After the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, he returned to Azerbaijan and worked as a governor in Baku. His father, Ferman Narimanbekov, was one of the 40 students sent abroad by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic to study. He graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Toulouse University while in France. While living in France, he married Irma Lya Rude, a dressmaker. Togrul's brother Vidadi was born in France.
In 1929, Ferman Narimanbekov returned to Baku with his wife Irma Lya Rude and their son Vidadi. Togrul Narimanbekov was born during that time. Towards the end of 1930, Ferman Narimanbekov, like other Azerbaijani intellectuals who had received education in Europe, became a victim of repression and was exiled to the Siberian city of Marinsk. Later, his mother was also arrested and exiled. Togrul Narimanbekov lived with his mother in exile for a while. He eventually started attending school, going to classes in the morning, and returning to the prison in the evening, enduring challenging circumstances. In 1941, when France was occupied by Germany, Irma Rude was given the ultimatum to renounce her French citizenship or be sent into exile, but she chose not to renounce her citizenship and was first sent to Kazakhstan and later exiled to Samarkand. While his parents were imprisoned, Togrul and his brother were looked after by their Polish aunt, Anna Andreyevna. Later, he painted a portrait of his aunt and named the painting "Mother.
In 1946, Togrul Narimanbekov initially entered the Azim Azimzadeh State School of Painting in Azerbaijan. From 1950 onwards, he studied monumental and decorative painting at the Lithuanian Institute of Fine Arts. He graduated from there in 1955. At the same time, he began studying classical vocal music at the Vilnius Conservatory. During his student years, he met his mother in Samarkand. In 1961, Togrul's mother received amnesty and returned to Baku. His father, Ferman Bey Narimanbekov, who had been exiled to Siberia, also returned to his homeland after some time.
From the 1980s onward, Togrul Narimanbekov lived in several countries. He first traveled from Baku to Moscow and lived there for a while. In 1989, he was invited to Boston, Massachusetts, USA, where he held solo exhibitions. In 1992, he moved to the city of Luxembourg. He continued his artistic career in Luxembourg in 1992-1993. He held exhibitions in several galleries, which garnered significant attention. In 1993, he moved from Luxembourg to Paris. The reason Paris was particularly appealing to the artist was that his mother, Irma Rude, was originally French. The period of his life in Paris is considered one of the most productive in the artist's creative career.
Togrul Narimanbekov married twice during his lifetime. His first wife was sculptor Elmira Huseynova. From this marriage, Togrul Narimanbekov had a daughter, Asmar Narimanbekov, who became an artist. Elmira Huseynova died on January 23, 1995. The painter later entered into a second marriage with the musician Sevil Nejefzade. From this marriage, he had a son named Fransua Narimanbekov, who followed in his father's footsteps and became involved in painting.
The artist's work is associated with the styles of abstractionism and figurativism. His works in various fields such as landscape, portrait, monumental painting, illustration, and theater art are characterized by thematic and genre diversity, as well as a distinctive style. The main features that define his personal style have been closely connected with the color harmony of decorative Azerbaijani art and the new directions of contemporary world art.
During the Soviet Union period, art critics who studied the artist’s work always described Togrul Narimanbekov as an “innovator.”
Togrul Narimanbekov began his artistic career in the 1950s. He says the following about this: The years when I first came to art were very chaotic and contradictory. It was a period when a direction like socialist realism held great importance in art. Moreover, artists were assigned the political task of acting as “mobile exhibitors.” This was a policy aimed at restricting the artistic freedom of talented individuals and creating only formulaic works of art in the style of socialist realism.When Narimanbekov began his artistic career, some of his early works showed the influence of European and Russian art. Azerbaijani art enthusiasts, whose eyes were accustomed to traditional paintings, did not unanimously accept the artist's distinct artistic style.
In 1950, the artist joined the Azerbaijan State Art Exhibition with his work titled Street of Turkey. Later, in 1953, he created Portrait of My Brother, depicting his brother Vidadi Nərimanbəyov, and Venus Nights. He completed one of his most successful paintings, Return from the Summer Pasture, in 1954. Nərimanbəyov’s 1955 graduation thesis at the Faculty of Painting of the Lithuanian Art University, Baltic Fishermen, is considered one of the most valuable early works of the artist.
In 1955, he returned to his homeland, Azerbaijan. During this period, there were differences in the perspectives on life and art among the artists living in Azerbaijan. Narimanbekov constantly experimented within various movements and directions. He created many successful works in different branches of painting, especially in landscape, portrait, and still life.
In his early landscape and still life works, the artist was influenced by the “severe style” of art. His first works in this direction include Garden in Baku (doorway) (1955), View of Bayil (1955), and Baku at Noon (1956). His 1963 painting Trees and Rocks is also a landscape work created in this style. His first still life works in this direction include Fruits, Still Life with Pumpkin, and Pomegranates and Pears.
One of Togrul's first successful works, "Dawn on the Caspian" (1957), was painted in a romantic style. His paintings "Stronger Than the Storm"(1960), "Happiness" (1961), "Joy" (1963), which depict brave oil workers, and "For Life" (1963), which portrays the harsh conditions of a Nazi prison, stand out for their dramatism and the artist’s philosophical reflections.
In the works he created during his 1961 expedition to Poland — "Portrait of a Young Polish Girl", "Meeting", "In the Café", "Krakow", "Polish Circus", and others — he depicted developing cities, people’s lives, their spiritual world, lovers living in love, and young people relaxing in cafés. In the early stages of his artistic career, the artist also painted notable portraits. His portraits from this period — "Turkish Poet Nazim Hikmet" (1960), "Driver Mammadaga" (1960), "Poet Rasul Rza" (1964), "Vocal Artist Bulbul" (1964), "Poet Bakhtiyar Vahabzade" (1965), as well as "Smoking Sattar Bahlulzade" (1961) and "Portrait of the Artist" (1962), both painted in oil on canvas — are among his most valuable portrait works.