Named in memory of Lado Gudiachvili (1896–1980), a great painter and a dear friend of the discoverer. Born in Ducheti, Georgia, he studied in Tbilisi, and after a period in Paris (1919–1927), he returned to his native country, where he remained the rest of his life. He early developed a very personal style, to some extent influenced by early church frescoes. His persistent affection for beauty in all its aspects and his uncompromising pursuit of poetic and sometimes fantastic expressions was only fully recognized at a later time. His drawings and paintings are frequently of a philosophical or allegorical nature, and many are connected with the turbulent history of Georgia. He is one of the founders of twentieth-century Georgian art and became a national legend during his lifetime. (M 6835) _ _.