Hovhannes Rustemian (Jan Rustem 1762--1835)

Jan Rustem was a Polish portrait painter of Armenian descent(1), a professor at the Vilnius University.

Self-Portrait of Hovhannes Rustemian

He came to Poland as a ten year old orphan at the invitation of General Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski. He studied painting in Warsaw with Jean-Pierre de la Norblin Gourdaine, Marcello Bacciarelli later. 1788 to 1790 he spent in Germany, where he was accepted into a Masonic Lodge.  

Portrait of Krystyna Frank

Then he came to Lithuania in 1794 to Warsaw, in 1798 he settled permanently in Lithuania, a few years ago part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.He became an assistant at the Department of Franciszek Smuglewicz painting of the Vilnius University. In 1811 he was associate professor of drawing, painting in 1819 for, in 1821 he was appointed full professor.

Portrait of Maria Mirska and Barbara

He dealt mainly with portraiture, created numerous self portraits. He also painted landscapes, mythological and historical scenes, designed sets and costumes for the theater Vilna.


 
Sources 
(1)Nineteenth century Polish painting by Agnieszka Morawińska, Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie, Barbara Brus-Malinowska

Encyclopedia Lituanica , Volume 6
Stefania Krzysztofowicz-Kozakowska: Malarstwo Polskie w zbiorach za granicą, (Polnische Malerei in ausländischen Sammlungen), Wydawnictwo Kluszczyński, 2003