Portrait of Alexander Tamanyan 1933

Martiros Sarian made this portrait of Alexander Tamanyan in 1933 using oil paint, and it's a great example of how painting can be like a conversation. Look at how the thick strokes of color define Tamanyan's face, and how Sarian doesn’t shy away from using dark outlines. The paint is applied in a way that feels both deliberate and spontaneous, like he’s building up the image one thought at a time. The background is rendered almost ethereally, the building seeming to appear like a memory. The choice of a subdued palette makes the man’s face all the more prominent. Notice the sharp line defining the edge of the nose, almost a caricature, yet it gives his face structure. It reminds me of some of Picasso’s portraits, especially in the way it flattens and abstracts the features. What makes this painting sing is the tension between representation and abstraction. It's a reminder that art is less about perfect likeness and more about capturing the essence of a subject.