The desire of the land 1963

This large painting by Sattar Bahlulzade shimmers with light in a landscape that feels both real and imagined. I see the artist layering color upon color, building the painting’s surface with delicate brushstrokes. What was Bahlulzade thinking as he made this painting? I imagine him standing before the canvas, feeling the desire of the land, channeling its essence through his brush. The materiality of paint is apparent in the way he represents the flowers, mountains, and sky. A particular gesture, like the upward strokes suggesting rising mist, communicates a feeling of hope and longing. Bahlulzade’s approach, focusing on the land, feels akin to other landscape painters throughout history. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, inspiring each other's creativity. Each painting is an embodied expression, inviting multiple interpretations.