Niko Pirosmanashvili

Niko Pirosmanashvili also known as Niko Pirosmani (May 5? 1862–1918) is a late 19th-early 20th century Georgian painter. His paintings are often of animals, people dining, and people serving food. His artwork is not very well known outside Russia or Georgia. Pirosmanashvili is also known in Russia for a romantic encounter with a French actress who visited his town; Pirosmanashvili was deeply in love with her, and to demonstrate it, bought her enough flowers to fill the square in front of her hotel window (allegedly driving himself bankrupt). The story became famous when it was recounted in a poem by Andrei Voznesensky, and later into a hit song by Alla Pugacheva.