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"To you, humanity!" (Azerbaijani: Sənə, bəşəriyyət!) is a panel painting by the Azerbaijani painter Tahir Salahov, painted in 1961. It is kept in the National Museum of Arts, Baku. This painting is considered one of the most famous works of the artist.

Painting’s history

Since the huge canvas did not fit in Salahovs studio, the author painted the picture in the premises of a nearby school. According to Salahov himself, the painting was created not as an order, but "according to the inner, optimistic dictate of the soul". The paintings figures, the author, as noted by the art critic Nuraddin Habibov, sought to convey his admiration for the conquest of the space. In their palms can be seen like the first satellites.

The painting was first exhibited at the republican art exhibition in Baku on 12 April 1961. Literally on the same day, it became known about Yuri Gagarins flight into space. According to the artist, in the working process on this canvas, a foresight dawned on him, which, in his opinion, is symbolic.

Later the painting was regarded as deeply formalist. Despite the fact that rumors about this had already reached Salahov, he decided to send “To you, humanity!” to Moscow Manege to the reporting exhibition of the Union of Artists of the USSR, held in 1962. Before the opening day, the Ministry of Culture leadership traditionally walked around the Manege, examining the works and filming those they did not like. Tahir Salahov, fearing that his picture would be removed as a formalist one, without waiting for the commission, did it himself to avoid a scandal. Later, the first secretary of the board of the Union of Artists of the USSR, Sergei Gerasimov, thanked Salahov for “saving the state of our Union”. The work was sent back to Baku and has since been kept in the Museum of Art. Until 2008, no one saw the picture in Russia. A few people knew about it even in Azerbaijan.

In 2008, the painting was restored. On 9 December 2008, "To you, humanity" was exhibited in Moscow in the Aidan Gallery, at an exhibition dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Tahir Salahov. The exhibition was organized by the artists daughter Aidan Salahova. The reason why the picture was not known to the general public even in the Salahovs reproduction is seen in the large size of the canvas, due to which it was practically impossible to even photograph it effectively.

In 2008, the painting was presented at the Venice Biennale.

In January 2011, an exhibition of carpets woven by the Sumgait masters was held at the Glinka State Museum of Musical Culture in Moscow. On one of the carpets, the painting “To You, Humanity!” was reproduced.

On 12 April 2011, a series of postage stamps of Azerbaijan dedicated to the 50th anniversary of mans flight into space was issued. One of them depicted the painting "To you, humanity".

References

1. Капланова Софья, Софья (1967). Таир Салахов. Moscow: Советский художник. p. 6.
2. "To you, humanity! 1961". nationalartmuseum.az. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
3. ^ "Предвидение художника: "Тебе, человечество!" Таира Салахова", Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow, 14 April 2011, archived from the original on 2011-04-19
4. Habibov, Nuraddin (197), Искусство Советского Азербайджана / Art of Soviet Azerbaijan, Moscow: Советский художник, p. 130
5. ^ Жанна Васильева (January 26, 2009). "Восточный мудрец" (in Russian). itogi.ru. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
6. "An Honest Man: Azerbaijani national treasure, the artist Tahir Salahov". baku-magazine.com. May 1, 2018. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
7. Мария Кравцова (December 10, 2008). "Таир Салахов "Тебе, человечество!" Выставка одной работы" (in Russian). aidangallery.ru. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
8. ""Sənə, bəşəriyyət!"" (in Azerbaijani). azlogos.eu. January 29, 2019. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
9. ^ ""Азербайджанский гимн подвигу Юрия Гагарина"" (in Russian). Azerbaijan State News Agency. April 9, 2011. Archived from the original on November 6, 2014. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
10. Tahir Salahov Bibliography (PDF). Baku: National Library of Azerbaijan. 2013. ISBN 978-9952-460-30-8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-23.
11. "Azərbaycanın poçt markaları kataloqu / Catalog of postage stamps of Azerbaijan" (in Azerbaijani). azermarka.az. p. 129. Retrieved June 14, 2021.

• 1961 paintings
• 20th-century allegorical paintings
• Paintings by Tahir Salahov