Great figures of Armenian culture in one picture

This picture brings together the most prominent figures of Armenian culture and the national awakening. At the centre sits the Hayrik of All Armenians, Mkrtich Khrimian, surrounded by great Armenians of the 19th century.

Among them are the novelist Raffi, the freedom fighter Mikael Nalbandian, the poets Mkrtich Beshiktashlian and Raphael Patkanian, the scholar Ghevond Alishan, the publicist Grigor Artsruni, and the enlighteners Stepanos Nazarian and Khachatur Abovian.

The image is a drawing, not a photograph. Nine men sit and stand around a covered table with papers and inkwells on it. Paintings hang on the walls; in front, books lie on a stool and rolled papers on the floor.