Niko Pirosmani was a Georgian primitivist painter born in 1862 who taught himself to paint. He specialized in painting directly onto black oilcloth and made signboards and portraits by commission in Tbilisi. Pirosmani painted many animal and historical scenes depicting everyday Georgian life until his death from malnutrition in 1918. Lado Gudiashvili was a 20th century Georgian painter born in Tiflis (now Tbilisi) in 1890 who studied art there. His early works featured dramatic scenes with poetic mystery but his colors became warmer over time. He worked as a monumentalist and illustrator until his death in 1980 in Tbilisi. Elene Akhvlediani was