This is Dimitri Shevardnadze (1885–1937), a Georgian painter who founded the Georgian Art Museum. He trained at the academies in Saint Petersburg and Munich before returning to Tbilisi.
There has been some anger in Russia about this museum, but it’s hard to hide what happened to Shevardnadze. On the orders of Lavrentiy Beria, he was executed in 1937 as part of the Great Purge ordered by Joseph Stalin and he was one of the more prominent Georgian cultural figures who was murdered.
Shortly before his death, Shevardnadze was one of the leading advocates against the planned demolition of Metekhi Church which upset Beria. Fortunately, due to the amount of opposition to the demolition plans, the church was saved and we visited it during our trip. Its survival is thanks to the bravery and integrity of men such as Shevardnadze.