Harout Torossian

1933 – 2022, Beirut

Harout Torossian was a Lebanese-Armenian painter and sculptor. He studied at ALBA (Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts) and continued his artistic education at l'École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (Paris) in the sections of painting, engraving, mosaic and fresco from 1956 to 1961.

Driven by his curiosity for art, he visited museums all over the world, from which he gained valuable knowledge. He participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions, ranging from Paris to Detroit, Rio de Janeiro, Yerevan, Marseille, and Beirut. He has received numerous prestigious awards and decorations from national institutions in recognition of his contribution to Lebanese art.

Torossian also taught drawing and painting at the Lebanese University and ALBA. He taught History of Art at Haigazian College and the Hamazkaïn Center for Advanced Studies. Additionally, he has been the subject of several publications.

 About his Work

Assadour has named him "the Vivaldi of painting."

Torossian is primarily known for his serene paintings. Still lifes, solitary trees, rocks, isolated houses, portraits, and above all, female nudes are the main subjects of his contemplative artworks. His three small bronze figurines—an elongated head, a seated woman, and a simplified female body—lack faces and arms, bearing a striking resemblance to the prehistoric Cycladic figurines. These figures are pure and tranquil, evoking a tension between the abstract and the real. Torossian is a universal humanist who bridges the gap between the East and the West. Deeply connected to Lebanon, the country of his upbringing, he also carries the enduring influence of his distant Armenia in his heart.

Harout Torossian

Head, ca. 1960,

Bronze, 10 x 5 x 10 cm

Nammour Collection