Trees in blossom 1901

Martiros Sarian made this sketch of trees in blossom with graphite on paper. I can see the artist, standing outside in the landscape, feeling the sun on their back, as they lay down these lines. It's as though Sarian allows the landscape to seep into their mind, and, with each stroke, he coaxes it back out, transforming feeling into form. Look at the varying weights of each stroke – some are bold and assertive, defining the strong vertical lines of the trees, while others are light and tentative, suggesting the subtle textures of the blossoming flowers. I love the incompleteness of it, like he has suggested, and the rest is up to you. It reminds me that we are always in conversation with those who came before us. Each artist builds upon the foundations laid by their predecessors, reinterpreting and reimagining the world in their own unique way. And then that becomes another layer to add.