Head of the girl 1923

Martiros Sarian made this painting, Head of the Girl, with oil on canvas. There's a lot going on here with the paint itself; it's thin in some places, thick in others. The way Sarian applied the paint, it's almost like he's building up layers of color and texture, allowing the surface to have this real presence. Look at the girl's skin, the soft gradations of pinks and yellows. It's not just a flat expanse of color. It feels like there is something beneath the surface, like you could reach out and touch it, feel its warmth. And those eyes, they're so expressive, they really draw you in. The way Sarian captured the light in them, it gives the figure a sense of depth and interiority. Sarian reminds me a bit of Matisse with his use of vibrant color. Like Matisse, he wasn't afraid to push the boundaries of representation, and he embraced the ambiguity of the painted surface.