Jirayr Zorthian

Jirayr Zorthian (April 14, 1911- January 6, 2004) was an American artist. Born April 14, 1911, in Khutaya, Western Anatolia, Turkey of Armenian parents, Zorthian escaped through Europe, with the remnants of his family after two waves of political massacres, and arrived in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1923. He earned a Master of Fine Arts at Yale University and studied art in Italy in the 1930s. Returning to the United States during the Great Depression, he painted several massive murals, including 11 for the Tennessee State Capitol in 1938 which earned him the honorary title of "Colonel". In 1940, he painted the mural at the United States Post Office in St. Johnsville, New York titled "Early St. Johnsville Pioneers." During World War II,...