Orpheus 1904

Martiros Sarian painted Orpheus in 1904, and it’s like he dove straight into a pool of blues and blacks to pull it out. The colors aren't just sitting there; they're seeping and bleeding into each other, a real testament to the unpredictable nature of watercolor and the process of artmaking itself. Look at how the darkness pools around the edges, almost swallowing the softer blues and grays in the center. It gives the whole piece this moody, dreamlike quality, like a memory half-recalled. There's this one spot, right in the middle – is that supposed to be Orpheus himself? With a few strokes, Sarian captures a figure that's both there and not there. Sarian reminds me of Odilon Redon who also wasn't afraid to let the strange and the beautiful collide. Neither artist is handing you answers on a silver platter. It's more like they're inviting you into a space where things are felt more than understood.