The adoption of Christianity as the state religion of Armenia in 301 had a paramount importance for the further development of the Armenian nation’s history and culture. It is since the IV century that a new phase in the Armenian culture history begins, marking the beginning of medieval Armenian art.

Some fragments of fresco painting date back to the Hellenistic period and they have been found in the capital of ancient Armenia, Artashat.

The earliest preserved fragments of Armenian fresco date back to the V-VII centuries (Poghos-Petros church in Yerevan, Yereruyk, Qasakh Basilica, Lmbatavank, Aruchavank). From the Armenian medieval monumental painting of the 10th-11th centuries only fresco fragments were preserved.

In Tatev Monastery the painting of a part of the Last Judgment scene (the beginning of the 10th century) is preserved, which in its composition is close to Western European monuments. In the monastery of Gndevank (built in 914), located in the Vayots Dzor region, fragments of frescoes with images of the halo of Christ in the apse, the figures of the sitting Virgin and the unknown saint (painted by Eghishe) were preserved.

In the treatise «On iconoclasm» by the 6th-7th centuries author Vrtanes Kertogh the scenes depicted in the temples are listed. In particular, information on the existence of early Christianity of frescoes, depicting St. Gregory the Illuminator, St. Hripsime, St. Gayane, in Armenia is given.

There are partially preserved frescoes in the cathedral (built in 1001) in the medieval capital of Armenia - the city of Ani, as well as in the church of the Holy Cross (built during 915-921) on the island of Akhtamar, on the walls of which the story of Adam and Eve, the figures of the apostles and saints, other evangelical scenes are depicted. Mural paintings of the XII century in Akhtala, fragments of murals of the XIII century in the church of Bakhtageka in Ani, as well as those in the church of Tigran Honents and in Dadivank are preserved. Among the frescoes of the XIV century, paintings in the Haghpat Monastery are of particular value.

In the Armenian church paintings one of the earliest complete cycles of the composition «Last Judgment» has been preserved. The analysis of early Armenian paintings in Aruch, Talin, Lmbat and Kosh proves the existence of decoration system already developed as early as in the 7th century, which reached its greatest peak in the 10th century.