Red horse 1919

Curator: Martiros Sarian painted "Red Horse" in 1919. The artwork offers a tantalizing glimpse into a landscape populated by figures both human and animal. What catches your eye about it? Editor: Initially, the colours explode! They feel hot, yet slightly muted, giving the scene this almost dreamlike quality. That horse is captivating but something feels...not quite real about him, doesn't it? Curator: Sarian often played with colour to evoke feeling and symbolic depth, drawing on the visual traditions of Armenia. Horses often symbolize power, freedom, or even sacrifice in various cultures. Perhaps that is being evoked here. How do these traditional symbols speak to the work, for you? Editor: Hmmm. Looking again... the two women also strike a fascinating contrast. They're draped in these vibrant floral textiles, their faces so serene. They feel so present in the foreground and yet distant. Their dresses really play well against that stunning background. Curator: Indeed. Their garments become like mobile gardens, carrying with them patterns reflecting ideas of renewal and beauty. In Sarian's work, figures and landscapes aren’t separate. Instead, everything’s interwoven, sharing symbolic and emotional weight. He wanted to convey the soul of Armenia through those strong visual impressions, and I wonder if those women were intended to mirror each other somehow... Editor: I'd almost say they were, yes. I like the effect: two figures both part of the landscape and yet subtly set apart from it. But beyond the patterns and visual harmony, there is a deeper quiet at play, the quiet mystery of figures who exist together, but each wrapped in their own thoughts. This red horse suddenly is even more poignant... he has his path, the women have theirs. Curator: Yes, and Sarian expertly uses flat planes of colour to unite the composition, and also suggest that internal landscape of reflection. Editor: Beautiful! Now I almost feel like saddling that fabulous beast myself! Curator: Sarian offers such rich grounds for exploring visual languages, even now, a century later. Editor: Absolutely, it really makes me consider what new meanings each person will construct for these symbols as time unfolds.