Portrait of composer Aram Khachaturian 1944

Martiros Sarian’s portrait of composer Aram Khachaturian is a beautiful, painterly rendering of a creative mind. The dominant tones are dark blues and reds, but it’s how they’re applied that really grabs you. I can imagine Sarian, brush in hand, circling the canvas, building up the image through layers of feeling. Look at the way the paint is thick in some areas, especially around the face, giving Khachaturian a sense of weight and presence. Then notice the background, where the colours swirl and dance, echoing the composer’s own vibrant melodies. That gesture, where the dark blue of Khachaturian’s suit meets the fiery reds behind him, it’s like a meeting of intellect and passion, a conversation between form and feeling. Sarian, like all great artists, is in dialogue with other painters, maybe even whispering to Matisse, echoing his love of colour and form. Each stroke is alive with possibility, inviting us to feel along with the artist and his subject.