One of the most fatal and most dramatic episodes of Armenian history - the battle of Vardanants had inspired Armenian people's painter Eduard Isabekyan long ago. Eghishe's immortal history, and then D. Demirchyan's "Vardananq" classic historical roman gave a new momentum and enthusiasm to the patriot painter to express the masculine character of the Armenian people, which, in spite of its small number, didn't scare to fight against its powerful enemy.
The painter's ideas firstly were implemented on "The reply to Haskert" and "The battle of Avarayr" sketches. Then, in the result of getting familiar with the roman, he made five papers of pencil pictures, where a few hero images (Vardan, Vasak, Ghevond) were added to the two massive scenes. For the illustrations of the second edition of the historical roman, Isabekyan made twelve papers, where "The reply" and "The battle," as the loop and solution to the disaster, were dominating.
Getting into the historical topic by the acuteness of a watchful realist, the painter succeeded to condense the whole historical-philosophical meaning of the phenomena, which was expressed in "The reply to Hazkert" painting. The painting was considered to be not only the painter's achievement, but also one of the best works of Armenian historical paintings. The master, making historically individualized-psychological characters and taking them into a compositionally logical relationship, succeeded to convey to the canvass an alarming tension, where the bold spirit of heroism reigned and to convey the incandescent patriotism, without which not only Avarayr, but also the future course of the Armenian history is not perceivable. It is the steadfast spirit to confront the disaster.
Creating this artistic picture Isabekyan didn't end the theme of Vardananc.
The Russian edition of the "Vardanank" of D. Demirchyan makes Edward Isabekyan to start again its illustrations (14 new pages), which are the expressions of his efforts of long years, the sure and steady perception of the fiction, his style and philosophical meaning.
The current collection includes those final graphic pages.
