
Photographic recreation of Tariel from Shota Rustaveli’s The Knight in the Panther’s Skin, inspired by illustrations by Mihály Zichy and photographed by Kachukhashvili.
Staged studio portrait depicting a member of the Shervashidze aristocratic family in the role of Tariel, the central hero of Shota Rustaveli’s 12th-century epic poem The Knight in the Panther’s Skin (ვეფხისტყაოსანი). The composition was inspired by illustrations created by the Hungarian artist Mihály Zichy for the poem. The photograph belongs to a tradition of literary and theatrical photographic tableaux popular in late 19th-century Georgia, in which scenes and characters from Georgian classical literature were recreated through costume, staging, and photography. The image was photographed by Kachukhashvili.