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Grigol Shervashidze as Tariel Inspired by Zichy’s Illustration
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.