Mountains. Dzoraget 1930

Panos Terlemezian’s ‘Mountains. Dzoraget’ captures a solitary peak beneath a vast sky, rendered in oil with a reverence that elevates it beyond mere landscape. The mountain, an archetype of stability and transcendence, has served as a potent symbol across cultures, representing the axis mundi, the link between the earthly and divine realms. Consider Mount Olympus in Greek mythology, or Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. Mountains are not merely geographical features; they are charged with spiritual significance, emblems of endurance and aspiration. Even in contemporary art, we see echoes of this reverence, albeit often filtered through a lens of Romanticism or sublime terror. The upward thrust of the mountain evokes a primal yearning for ascension. A desire that speaks to our collective memory, resonating with a subconscious awareness of humanity’s quest for higher understanding. This pursuit is not linear but cyclical, with each generation reinterpreting the symbolism of the mountain, imbuing it with new layers of meaning while remaining tethered to its ancient, powerful roots.