Ararat from Dvin 1952

Martiros Sarian made this painting of Ararat from Dvin, sometime in the 20th century, with oil on canvas. It is all about the process of looking, how the colours mix in your eye as much as on the canvas. Up close, you can see the paint is thinly applied in layers, a kind of loose cross-hatching. This technique creates a shimmering effect, as if the air itself is vibrating with light and heat. Take a look at the foreground, at how Sarian uses strokes of bright green and yellow to depict the trees. The painting feels alive, like a snapshot of a constantly changing landscape. Sarian’s work makes me think of Cezanne, especially in his treatment of light and form. Like Cezanne, Sarian is interested in the way we perceive the world, not just in how we represent it. He seems less interested in making an exact replica of the mountain than capturing the sensory experience of being there, of seeing it. Ultimately, painting is a dialogue between artists across generations.