Eastern flowers 1916

Martiros Sarian’s painting, Eastern Flowers, presents a world realized in bright, saturated color through the medium of oil on canvas. Sarian applies paint in flat planes, with clear outlines that create simplified shapes and a focus on surface and color, which evokes the visual language of graphic design and printmaking. This technique influences the artwork’s appearance, emphasizing color, form, and composition, over realistic representation. The smoothness of the paint application and the emphasis on clear outlines result in a stylized depiction of flowers and objects. The overall effect is decorative, referencing traditions that often exist outside the conventional hierarchy of fine art. The painting’s directness also hints at the social context of its creation: with its simplified forms and bold colors, it brings a sense of vibrancy to everyday life. Sarian’s approach underscores the importance of materials, making, and context in understanding the full meaning of an artwork, challenging traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.