Portrait of Fuzuli 1970

Sattar Bahlulzade painted this portrait of Fuzuli with oils, and, oh man, is it a dreamy one! The blues and grays, so carefully layered, create this shimmering effect, like looking at the world through water. The paint handling is so present, you can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the canvas. Look at the way he’s built up the beard, those thick strokes of white and gray, like little flags waving in the wind. And the background, with its rhythmic, vertical marks, feels like both a curtain and a forest at the same time. It makes me think about Marsden Hartley and his portraits, that same kind of raw, emotional intensity, but Bahlulzade brings something unique, a kind of quiet reverence, you know? It’s a painting that invites you to slow down, to breathe, and to just be present with it.