Armenian from Nakhichevan 1904

Martiros Sarian painted this portrait, Armenian from Nakhichevan, in 1904 using watercolor. What gets me about this painting is how, with just the barest wisp of pigment, Sarian conjures a whole person. Look at the way the edges of the figure bleed into the background, how the whole image seems to emerge from a wash of color. It's like he's capturing a fleeting memory, or maybe a dream. The transparency of the watercolor here lets the light through, giving the portrait an ethereal quality. Notice the small mark he makes that defines the nostril. It really gives the face shape and weight without being overworked. Sarian's got a lot in common with someone like Emil Nolde, who was also exploring the expressive potential of watercolor at this time. It reminds you that art is a conversation, artists borrowing and riffing off each other's ideas across time and space. There’s a beautiful openness to this work.