Solar illumination 

Vartan Mahokian created this oil on canvas seascape, titled "Solar Illumination," at an unknown date. It depicts a turbulent sea under a cloudy sky, with the sun's rays breaking through. Mahokian was Armenian, born in the Caucasus. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of national awakening, but also great political instability and persecution for Armenians within both the Russian and Ottoman empires. Given this context, seascapes in Armenian art served as powerful symbols of hope, resilience, and the search for freedom, reflecting the nation's aspirations amidst historical challenges. To understand its meaning fully, one would need to look into the artistic conventions of seascape painting in both Russia and Western Europe. One could investigate the role of landscape in constructing national identity, along with the specific symbolism associated with the sea in Armenian culture. The interpretation of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.