Art was the goal of his whole being, his life’s vocation.
Towards the end of the 1890s, he devoted himself exclusively to
painting. Pirosmani’s life was hard and tragic. He often made a
living by drawing signboards and creating paintings for dukhan,
pub and workshop owners in exchange for bread, wine, and paint.
The artist was homeless and lonely. Whenever he could afford it,
he would rent a small room in the basement or under a staircase.
Often, he would spend the night where he worked. Pirosmani
passed away in loneliness and obscurity in 1918. Even the
location of his grave remains unknown. As it usually is the
case, after his death, the artist’s works were collected and
bought, references about his life were sought, and publications
started to flood the newspapers. Pirosmani’s name and his works
were famed and appreciated worldwide. Pirosmani’s paintings
speak for the great mastery of the artist. Most of them are
performed on black oilcloth, which is his technological
expertise. It is known that Pirosmani