IAKOB NIKOLADZE: GEORGIA’S SCULPTURAL PIONEER
Iakob Nikoladze was born on May 28 (May 16 Old Style), 1876, in Kutaisi, Georgia, then part of the Russian Empire. As the first professional Georgian sculptor, he would go on to establish the foundations of modern Georgian sculptural art during a career spanning over five decades.
His formal artistic education began at the prestigious Stroganov Moscow State Academy of Arts and Industry (1892-1894), where he received his initial training in visual arts. He continued his education at the Odessa School of Art (1894-1895 and 1897-1898), developing his technical skills and artistic vision.
Nikoladze’s earliest significant work, “Imeretian Peasant” (clay, 1895, now lost), already demonstrated his interest in capturing the inner psychological world of his subjects—a trait that would define his artistic approach throughout his career.
European Formation (1899-1910)
In 1899, determined to further his education, Nikoladze embarked on a journey to Paris—the epicenter of artistic innovation at the turn of the century. His journey was humble, as he described in a letter to his mother: “I traveled fourth class by steamship” from Batumi to Istanbul, then to Marseille, and finally to Paris.
With limited resources, he rented a room “on the fourth floor, for 15 francs” (approximately 6 rubles monthly). Despite financial constraints, his optimism remained unwavering:
What can I tell you, mother… I’ll write soon about the situation in Paris… I’ll only say that it’s paradise here.
In Paris, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts (1899-1901), immersing himself in the vibrant artistic environment of fin-de-siècle Paris. Between 1904-1910, Nikoladze primarily lived in Paris, with a brief return to Georgia in 1901-1903 to teach at the Transcaucasian Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts.
The Rodin Apprenticeship (1906-1907)
The defining moment in Nikoladze’s artistic development came in 1906 when he received a brief telegram: “Expecting you in Meudon – Auguste Rodin.” This invitation to study under one of history’s most influential sculptors marked a turning point in his career.
Rodin was notoriously selective about his students. “I have yet to meet a sculptor who understands my principles,” the French master often remarked. As Nikoladze later recalled in his memoir “One Year with Rodin,”
This sphinx tested those who came to him…
The apprenticeship transformed Nikoladze’s approach to sculpture. Under Rodin’s guidance, he developed a unique synthesis of body modeling techniques, impressionistic handling, and classical traditions. Works from this period—”Wind” (1905), “The Maiden of the North” (1906), and “Salome” (1906)—demonstrate the technical innovation and psychological depth that would become hallmarks of his mature style.
Before studying with Rodin, Nikoladze had spent seven years in Italy surrounded by works of Renaissance masters. After long contemplation of Michelangelo’s sculptures, particularly his “Slaves,” he abruptly left Italy, fearing he would never escape their overwhelming influence. In Rodin, he found a teacher who could help him develop his own voice while honoring classical traditions.
Despite numerous lucrative offers to relocate to America, where his association with Rodin would have guaranteed fortune and fame, Nikoladze chose to return to Georgia: “Forgive me, but I am returning to Georgia”—a decision that would profoundly impact Georgian art history.
Return to Georgia and Early Soviet Period (1910-1930)
Upon returning to Georgia, Nikoladze quickly established himself as a leading artistic figure. His monumental work “Mourning Georgia” for Ilia Chavchavadze’s grave (commissioned 1908, installed 1913)
at Mtatsminda Pantheon in Tbilisi became the first sculpture by a Georgian sculptor dedicated to a Georgian writer. Poignantly, he used his own mother’s face as the model, sculpting from memory while working in Paris.
In 1919, he created a sculpture of Noe Zhordania, the head of the Democratic Republic of Georgia’s government. Nikoladze also designed the national flag of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-1921), which would again become Georgia’s flag from 1991 to 2004.
After Soviet power was established in Georgia, Nikoladze adapted to the new political reality. In 1922, he helped establish the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, becoming its first professor. This period saw him creating portraits of revolutionary figures, including “A. Tsulukidze” (stone, 1921), “Rosa Luxemburg” (stone, 1922, now lost), and a bust of Karl Marx (stone, 1924).
In 1925, he completed his first portrait of Lenin, which he executed in marble in 1926 (now in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, and the Georgian Museum of Fine Arts). This work demonstrated his ability to convey not just physical likeness but inner psychological character.
Mature Work and Recognition (1930-1951)
The 1930s and 1940s marked Nikoladze’s period of greatest productivity and recognition. Between 1934-1936, he worked on high reliefs for the facade of the Tbilisi branch of the Institute of Marxism-Leninism, depicting “The History of the Formation of Bolshevik Organizations in Transcaucasia” and “The Peaceful Construction of the Soviet Union” (stone, unveiled 1938).
In 1937-1938, he created three portraits of Shota Rustaveli: a round bas-relief in stone, an oval terracotta portrait that became especially popular, and a bust. His portrait of the 12th-century Georgian poet Chakhrukhadze (plaster, 1944; later executed in marble, 1948) won him the USSR State Prize in 1946.
Nikoladze joined the Communist Party in 1939, conforming to the political expectations of the era. In 1946, he was named People’s Artist of Georgia, and in 1947, he became a full member of the USSR Academy of Arts.
His portrait “V.I. Lenin in the ‘Iskra’ Period” (bronze, 1947, Tretyakov Gallery) won him a second USSR State Prize in 1947. Other notable works from this period include portraits of Ilia Chavchavadze (stone, 1938), academician Sh. Amiranashvili (plaster, 1940), Ivan Beritashvili (bronze, 1943), and Ivane Javakhishvili (bronze, 1946).
Iakob Nikoladze died on March 10, 1951, in Tbilisi at the age of 74. His ashes were interred at the Mtatsminda Pantheon, where his own sculpture “Mourning Georgia” stands over Ilia Chavchavadze’s grave—a fitting tribute to his artistic legacy.
