Miskhor. After the rain 1972

Dmitry Nalbandyan made this painting, Miskhor. After the rain, with oil on canvas. The canvas sings with cool blues and greens, and the artist’s brushstrokes feel like a dance between observation and feeling, a way of capturing not just what's seen, but how it felt to be there, after the rain. I can almost imagine the artist standing there, smelling the petrichor, mixing green and brown hues, trying to get the texture of the tree’s bark just right, dabbing at the leaves with short strokes, letting the light catch the tips. I see a particular stroke of white in the water, thick and juicy, suggesting a momentary flash of light, or a ripple in the water’s surface. It’s as if Nalbandyan is speaking through the paint, telling us about the moment. I feel a connection between this piece and the work of other landscape painters, who use the act of painting to explore our relationship with nature and capture a sense of place. It's a reminder that art is a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and inspirations across time.