The image of great poet has not been preserved for his offspring, but he always excited people. Now it is difficult to imagine that 66 years ago the image that we got used to see as Magtymguly, did not exist.
Everyone imagined him on his own. Someone saw him in the image of a young beloved who reads poems for his girl of his dream Mengli. For another one he was a wise and experienced old man who knew answers for any question. And someone saw him as a poet pilgrim travelling all over the world. How did this man-legend whose poems have brought to the Turkmen people a great fame in the near and far countries and have become a universal cultural treasure, look like three hundred years ago? These questions were given to many representatives of creative professions-writers, poets, actors, to make an image of the poet in their imagination and artists dreamed to create it such way so that one could see reflection of the epoch of national culture in him. As the way he was, so that his immortal verses sounded from mouth to mouth of the poet came alive. Of course, creation of a canonical picture of the great poet is not an easy task requiring from the artist a wide knowledge of history of his native land, literature and culture of Turkmen people.
In 1947 in Ashgabat the creative contest was declared to create a canonical image of Magtymguly. Many artists of Turkmenistan tried their skill in hope for success. The participant of the competition also became a third year student of the Moscow art institute named after Surikova-Ayhan Hajiyev. By creation of the image of the poet he would like to express his boundless love for the genius personality of Magtymguly and his immortal works.
The idea of creation of the image of Magtymguly was born in the heart of Ayhan Hajiyev long before the competition. Yet when he studied in the Ashgabat art school he learned the works of his favorite poet well and made thousands of sketches. The young artist visited the native mountainous village of Magtymguly Gerkez where he met his distant relatives. In his conversation with them Ayhan Hajiyev interested in all that was connected with the name of Magtymguly. Elders of the village who remember the stories of their ancestors told him of the life of the poet, his character, habits, and clothes. For the artist it was very important of all. By grain he collected all information to make a life-size picture of the poet and painter made portrait sketches of his relatives.
Before Ayhan Hajiyev was set the task to create such a truthful and inspiring picture of the poet so that millions of people see and believe that Magtymguly was such person. In his work on the portrait the painter was helped much by the recollections of relatives and contemporaries of the poet, study of the works of the poet and his philosophic views. For Turkmens works of Magtymguly is the voice of conscious, source of wisdom, untainted authority in moral issues.
In 1947 Hajiyev completed his work on the portrait of Magtymguly. And now before the public the image of the great Turkmen poet at the moment of his creative inspiration appeared. In the dark background of a Turkmen tent house a noble image of the poet is visible as a bright future. His shining glance is directed to the future, he looks over the world of poetry and folded scroll of poems lying on the low table is a token of birth of poetic views. Behind the greatest image of Magtymguly filled with peace, a composite world of the philosopher, poet and thinker who lived in the hard epoch of discord and wars and deep sufferings for the bright future of the Turkmen people, for his fatherland is divined. For many masters of art the canonical portrait of Magtymguly created in 1947 by the young artist painter Ayhan Hajiyev served a basis for realization of this image of the great poet in painting, plastic art, graphics, theatre and cinematography.
In 1957, on the eve of the 225th birthday anniversary of Magtymguly, Hajiyev again referred to the image of the great poet. At the republic exhibition of 1959 the new canvas “Magtymguly-jeweler” was displayed. In the olden days jewelers engaged in not only making jewelries for their beloved but also made arms for defenders of their native land. Therefore, the art of jeweler was compared with military glory. In his work the artist showed the poet-jeweler embodied in mastership, art, traditions and customs. And in 1969 the other picture “Unstopped” was displayed for the judgment of the pubic and it significantly deepened and enriched the image of the poet. In it the artist glorified the pride, unbend spirit of great Magtymguly, his boundless love for his fatherland, and high hatred for oppressors of the Turkmen people. The subject of the picture served the famous verses from his poem:
The work of mine destroyed:
The enemy caught us by surprise, other were enslaved,
Works of mine became booty of the enemy.
A multiple approach of Ayhan Hajiyev to the works of Magtymguly, to his philosophic views inspired the artist to create another ideal picture “As a united family” (1983). A spiritual insight, penetrated into the speech of the poet possesses the power of influence on the mind of fans of his creative genius. Magtymguly calls his compatriots for unity, and then no misfortune could overcome the untied people.
Another picturesque topic connected with the memory of the great poet is «At the burial of Magtymguly » (1991). In the Iranian village of Aktokai, at the burial of the great poets Azady and Magtymguly our compatriots: scholars, writers and workers of art and culture pay respect for the memory of them.
And in 1993 Hajiyev was engaged in creation of another canonical image. This time he referred to the personality of the poet and enlightener Dovletmammet Azady –father of great Magtymguly. For embodiment of this image the panel of juries awarded Ayhan Hajiyev first prize and a special commission recognized the image created by the artist canonical.
And though in the creative career of the artist there are hundreds of wonderful works of various subjects, but even it be a canonical portrait of Magtymguly created by him 66 years ago, his only work, the name of the people’s artist , professor, candidate of art studies, and winner of the award named after Magtymguly Ayhan Hajiyev remained in the memory of people and in the history of fine art as a creator of the true image of the son of the Turkmen people who glorified his fatherland all over the world with his value poetry.
Everyone imagined him on his own. Someone saw him in the image of a young beloved who reads poems for his girl of his dream Mengli. For another one he was a wise and experienced old man who knew answers for any question. And someone saw him as a poet pilgrim travelling all over the world. How did this man-legend whose poems have brought to the Turkmen people a great fame in the near and far countries and have become a universal cultural treasure, look like three hundred years ago? These questions were given to many representatives of creative professions-writers, poets, actors, to make an image of the poet in their imagination and artists dreamed to create it such way so that one could see reflection of the epoch of national culture in him. As the way he was, so that his immortal verses sounded from mouth to mouth of the poet came alive. Of course, creation of a canonical picture of the great poet is not an easy task requiring from the artist a wide knowledge of history of his native land, literature and culture of Turkmen people.
In 1947 in Ashgabat the creative contest was declared to create a canonical image of Magtymguly. Many artists of Turkmenistan tried their skill in hope for success. The participant of the competition also became a third year student of the Moscow art institute named after Surikova-Ayhan Hajiyev. By creation of the image of the poet he would like to express his boundless love for the genius personality of Magtymguly and his immortal works.
The idea of creation of the image of Magtymguly was born in the heart of Ayhan Hajiyev long before the competition. Yet when he studied in the Ashgabat art school he learned the works of his favorite poet well and made thousands of sketches. The young artist visited the native mountainous village of Magtymguly Gerkez where he met his distant relatives. In his conversation with them Ayhan Hajiyev interested in all that was connected with the name of Magtymguly. Elders of the village who remember the stories of their ancestors told him of the life of the poet, his character, habits, and clothes. For the artist it was very important of all. By grain he collected all information to make a life-size picture of the poet and painter made portrait sketches of his relatives.
Before Ayhan Hajiyev was set the task to create such a truthful and inspiring picture of the poet so that millions of people see and believe that Magtymguly was such person. In his work on the portrait the painter was helped much by the recollections of relatives and contemporaries of the poet, study of the works of the poet and his philosophic views. For Turkmens works of Magtymguly is the voice of conscious, source of wisdom, untainted authority in moral issues.
In 1947 Hajiyev completed his work on the portrait of Magtymguly. And now before the public the image of the great Turkmen poet at the moment of his creative inspiration appeared. In the dark background of a Turkmen tent house a noble image of the poet is visible as a bright future. His shining glance is directed to the future, he looks over the world of poetry and folded scroll of poems lying on the low table is a token of birth of poetic views. Behind the greatest image of Magtymguly filled with peace, a composite world of the philosopher, poet and thinker who lived in the hard epoch of discord and wars and deep sufferings for the bright future of the Turkmen people, for his fatherland is divined. For many masters of art the canonical portrait of Magtymguly created in 1947 by the young artist painter Ayhan Hajiyev served a basis for realization of this image of the great poet in painting, plastic art, graphics, theatre and cinematography.
In 1957, on the eve of the 225th birthday anniversary of Magtymguly, Hajiyev again referred to the image of the great poet. At the republic exhibition of 1959 the new canvas “Magtymguly-jeweler” was displayed. In the olden days jewelers engaged in not only making jewelries for their beloved but also made arms for defenders of their native land. Therefore, the art of jeweler was compared with military glory. In his work the artist showed the poet-jeweler embodied in mastership, art, traditions and customs. And in 1969 the other picture “Unstopped” was displayed for the judgment of the pubic and it significantly deepened and enriched the image of the poet. In it the artist glorified the pride, unbend spirit of great Magtymguly, his boundless love for his fatherland, and high hatred for oppressors of the Turkmen people. The subject of the picture served the famous verses from his poem:
The work of mine destroyed:
The enemy caught us by surprise, other were enslaved,
Works of mine became booty of the enemy.
A multiple approach of Ayhan Hajiyev to the works of Magtymguly, to his philosophic views inspired the artist to create another ideal picture “As a united family” (1983). A spiritual insight, penetrated into the speech of the poet possesses the power of influence on the mind of fans of his creative genius. Magtymguly calls his compatriots for unity, and then no misfortune could overcome the untied people.
Another picturesque topic connected with the memory of the great poet is «At the burial of Magtymguly » (1991). In the Iranian village of Aktokai, at the burial of the great poets Azady and Magtymguly our compatriots: scholars, writers and workers of art and culture pay respect for the memory of them.
And in 1993 Hajiyev was engaged in creation of another canonical image. This time he referred to the personality of the poet and enlightener Dovletmammet Azady –father of great Magtymguly. For embodiment of this image the panel of juries awarded Ayhan Hajiyev first prize and a special commission recognized the image created by the artist canonical.
And though in the creative career of the artist there are hundreds of wonderful works of various subjects, but even it be a canonical portrait of Magtymguly created by him 66 years ago, his only work, the name of the people’s artist , professor, candidate of art studies, and winner of the award named after Magtymguly Ayhan Hajiyev remained in the memory of people and in the history of fine art as a creator of the true image of the son of the Turkmen people who glorified his fatherland all over the world with his value poetry.
