In Barfursh. Persia. 1913

Martiros Sarian made this oil on cardboard, called "In Barfursh, Persia," and I love how the vibrant dabs of color capture the light and atmosphere of a place so far from where I'm standing right now. The materiality of this piece really sings to me, you know? The paint is applied in these loose, visible strokes, not blended into an illusionistic sheen. Instead, Sarian lets the brushstrokes remain distinct, almost like mosaic tiles. The walls are rendered in warm, earthy tones, and the figures walking along the road are simple shapes, each one a jolt of color that really brings the scene alive. Look at that yellow figure, just one step ahead of the shadow that threatens to envelop them! It reminds me that art is about capturing a moment, an emotion, a feeling, rather than a perfect representation of reality. It makes me think of Vuillard, how he could capture a whole scene with these small touches of life. And like Vuillard, Sarian embraced the ambiguity, letting the viewer fill in the blanks.