Mark Arian (American, b.1947), born Mark Arian, is a Contemporary Romantic Realist painter, known for his works executed in the style of Figurative Modernism. Originally from Des Moines, IA, he received his formal training in painting and sculpture at Fudakis Academy of Classic Realism in Philadelphia, PA; the Barnstone Studios in Allentown, PA; Northwest Missouri State College at Marysville; and at a private art academy in Florence, Italy. After finishing his studies, Arian traveled throughout the United States and Europe to study classical composition, figurative realism, and anatomy.

His strongest artistic influences are the Dutch Masters, including Johannes Vermeer, Peter Paul Rubens, and Rembrandt, as well as the French artist and master draftsman William Adolphe Bouguereau, and American realist John Singer Sargent. Arian’s expansive use of subtle color variations, light and shadow, and figurative rendering reflect these influences.

Arian was commissioned to create the murals in the Palace of Gold, the largest tourist attraction in West Virginia, which have since been the subject of numerous articles, in publications such as Time magazine and The Washington Post. In addition, he was commissioned to paint two historic 20-foot murals for the Wheeling Civic Center, also in West Virginia.