Zakar Zakarian was born in 1849 in Constantinople.

Wishing to become a doctor, he left in 1867 to study medicine in Paris and worked as an extern in Parisian hospitals until 1878. But already in 1870, he devoted himself to painting as a self-taught painter.

In 1879, on the advice of Degas, he successfully exhibited a still life at the Cercle Volney. He then joined the Impressionist group and got to know Manet.

Degas made his portrait in 1886, (opposite, David Weill collection) and his friend, the painter Gervex, owned several of his paintings and represented him taking the pulse of the patient in his “Avant l’opération” (1887) at the Musée d'Orsay Paris.

He was taught by Ferdinand Humbert (1842-1934), and participated in the Paris exhibitions, obtaining an “honourable” grade in 1885, the 3rd class medal in 1886, and the gold medal in 1889. That same year he was awarded the Croix de Chevalier de La Légion d’Honneur [Cross of the Knight of the Legion of Honour].

In 1900, he took part in the World’s Fair and was present at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts [National Fine Arts Society Fair] until 1922.

He was a member of the Group of Armenian Artists “Ani,” and took part in the first exhibition of the Georges Petit Gallery. He did make some cartoons for tapestries, but his artistic talent was most fully expressed in his still life scenes influenced by the work of Chardin. Objects seem to emerge from the shadows through the fluid transparency of the light. There is a very intimate feel about the whole scene.

The Museum of Luxembourg has “Musical Instruments” by him and the Museum of Châteauroux has “A Melon” in its collection.

He died in Paris at the age of 74 in 1923, the same year that the State granted him French nationality.

Frédéric Fringhian