In the springtime 

Martiros Sarian painted 'In the Springtime' with oil on canvas at an unknown date. Sarian belonged to a generation of artists who sought to articulate a distinctly Armenian aesthetic. Looking at this painting, notice the geometric forms of the buildings, tempered by the bright colors and the lively scene of daily life. We see here how Sarian integrated elements of European modernism with a consciously Armenian artistic vision, rooted in his sense of place. Sarian worked at a time when the institutions of art were changing rapidly, with new museums and galleries opening across Europe and Russia and new styles of art being developed and promoted. The art of Sarian embodies the complexities of this era, particularly the drive to define national identities in the context of an increasingly global art world. To better understand Sarian’s contribution to the modern art of Armenia, look to resources such as exhibition catalogs, artist biographies, and critical analyses of Armenian art and cultural history.