At the spring 1904

Curator: Martiros Sarian's "At the Spring," created in 1904, invites us to explore a symbolic landscape rendered in delicate watercolor. What’s your immediate impression? Editor: Well, it feels… wistful, almost dreamlike. The colors are so gentle, the figures are like floating apparitions in the landscape. It is giving me ethereal pre-Raphaelite painting mashed with some oriental fairytale! Curator: Absolutely. The Orientalist influence is discernible, intertwining with elements of Symbolism. Look at the positioning of the figures – the deer, the women in traditional dress – they appear almost suspended in time. Editor: The deer… it looks more like an antelope to me, but who am I to question the divine order. But it feels significant somehow, doesn't it? Almost like a spirit guide leading the way, or watching over. Curator: Indeed. Deer frequently appear in mythology, representing both vulnerability and grace, and a connection to nature. Here, within Sarian’s Symbolist language, its presence speaks to an intersection of innocence and hidden knowledge. The women might then be pilgrims. Editor: I love that thought. Pilgrims seeking…what? A truth, maybe? It’s so striking how their forms blend into the landscape, which suggests how inseparable we humans are from the natural world. Also, it seems that those are ravens flying above their heads. That has got to be something. Curator: That they are. Ravens carry significant weight across cultures, often associated with wisdom, prophecy, and transformation, as well as death. Given the symbolic density here, the presence of these ravens lends an undertone of contemplation about the mysteries of existence, or a message of foresight. Editor: Gosh, well, suddenly it went from innocent dream to serious business. But in a good way! This watercolour really feels like more than just a pretty picture. It is, dare I say, a vision. Curator: Sarian masterfully imbued this serene scene with layers of cultural and psychological meaning. Hopefully our visitors will think twice before dismissing this at first glance. Editor: I second that. I have to say, I would stroll past it and just see another landscape painting, now I can spend a lot more time reflecting on the figures in their gorgeous flowing robes and appreciate all that visual heritage on display!