Absheron still life 1973

Sattar Bahlulzade made this radiant still life sometime in the mid-20th century, with a heavy brush and thick paint. I can almost feel the artist working, layering color upon color, a dance of intuition and correction that must have taken hours. What I love is how the colors vibrate. The deep blues ripple, contrasting with the warm oranges and reds. The texture is almost edible, like thick frosting spread generously across a cake. Bahlulzade's vibrant palette and expressive brushwork create a sense of abundance and celebration of the world's natural beauty. Looking at the painting, I’m reminded of Van Gogh’s restless energy, and Matisse’s joy in color. Artists are always in dialogue with each other, riffing on ideas, pushing boundaries, and creating something new. In the end, painting is an open-ended experiment, a way of seeing, feeling, and thinking about the world in all its messy, glorious complexity.