Sumbat: A Son’s Tribute to His Father’s Unique Style, Creativity

He added, “I admired Sumbat as a man and as an artist. Sumbat’s art was an integral part of his life.”

Der Kiureghian explained the history of his family, which was typical of Isfahan Armenians. He said his father was descended from the 17th-century Armenians who were forcibly brought to Iran by Shah Abbas, the Persian king, from Jugha, in Nakhijevan, Armenia. The reasons were many for this forced migration, but mainly, they were for bringing the silk trade in which many took part (and thus the Silk Road) to Iran. Many settled in the Iranian cities of Hamadan and Arak but the majority went to Isfahan, Peria and Charmahal. In return for the violent uprooting, the government treated them fairly liberally as far as the practice of their religion or the maintaining of their culture was concerned.

Many of Sumbat’s early paintings involve those of the old Vank or church in New Jugha, which Der Kiureghian explained, because of the cultural juxtaposition particular to that city, had vaguely Islamic architectural features, as well as traditional Armenian elements. Because of the Armenians’ travels for trade all over Europe, there were even influences from as far afield as Venice in the churches there.

Sumbat’s father, a watch repairman, died fairly young, leaving his mother, Takouhi, a widow with several children. “Sumbat was exceptionally likeable” and already showing signs of talent as a painter when in the 1924-25 school year, he won a painting competition. A painter, Sarkis Kachadourian, mentored him. He also received a medal from the king, Reza Shah, for his efforts in promoting Iranian art.

Eventually, Sumbat dropped out of school and opened an art studio. His business thrived, and he produced many paintings for a seemingly- insatiable clientele. He met and married a young woman in Isfahan, Arax Aftandilian, and the young family eventually moved to the port city of Abadan. He organized an exhibit of his paintings there and one of the people attending it was Stanley F. Foster, a Briton who was touring Iran. He was so impressed with Sumbat’s style that he asked for lessons from him, in return for funding travel to Europe. They left for almost a year, during which Sumbat taught and created many paintings.

Sumbat was not only an artist, he was also a family man. Armen Der Kiureghian recalled that his father started a tradition of taking actual pictures of his family and then transposing the pictures of their faces onto other scenes that he would paint. For example, the family members — father, mother and three children — are on a canoe, as a Gypsy family, etc. Many people, he said, clamored to receive the cards and in fact asked for them.