Leon (Levon) Arthur Tutundjian was an Armenian painter who reached fame in France. He was born in Amasya, in Sivas Vilayet in the Ottoman Empire in 1905 and was from a relatively wealthy and educated family. His father and grandfather were teachers. He went to good schools, learned to speak French, and dreamed of moving to Paris. Unfortunately, the family moved so his father could procure teaching jobs.

Tutundjian's life changed dramatically when his father died from cerebral hemorrhage around 1915. Without a primary provider, the family was soon destitute, and Tutundjian's mother was forced to sell the family's possessions to care for her children. However, the family did settle down for a time, and Tutundjian was able to study at ...