On December 26, a ceremony titled “The Legacy of Mirza Qadim Iravani at the Presidential Library” was held in the Conference Hall of the Presidential Library, in accordance with the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev marking the 200th anniversary of the prominent artist and founder of realist easel painting in national fine art, Mirza Qadim Iravani.

As part of the event, a postcard published in 1959 by the Moscow-based organization IZOGIZ, depicting the “Portrait of the Qajar Prince Vajihullah Mirza”, was displayed. This was followed by a video presentation dedicated to the artist’s life and creative legacy.

The event was attended by well-known figures from the fields of science, culture, art, and public life. Shirin Malikova, Director of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, PhD in Art History and Associate Professor, delivered a speech in which she provided extensive information on the work carried out by the museum throughout the year to preserve and promote the legacy of Mirza Qadim Iravani.

Shirin Malikova also spoke about the museum’s publication “Mirza Qadim Iravani: At the Crossroads of Time”, dedicated to the artist’s oeuvre, emphasizing that the book is an important source for the systematic study of his artistic heritage, its scholarly presentation, and its transmission to future generations. In addition, she highlighted the significance of the exhibition “Mirza Qadim Iravani: A 200-Year Chronicle of Art”, which for the first time brought together the artist’s works preserved in museum collections in Georgia and Azerbaijan.