Landscape in Kalaki (Gohtan) 1914

Martiros Sarian made this landscape in Kalaki with what looks like graphite on paper. It's all about mark-making as a way of seeing, feeling the landscape through the hand. See how the mountains in the background are built up with these short, confident strokes? There's a real sense of form emerging through repetition, building blocks of tone creating a grand vista. The textures vary, from the softer, scribbled trees in the foreground to those decisive lines that define the mountains, making them monumental. That lone tree on the right, it's like a little study in itself. Each needle is individually rendered, a testament to the artist's close observation. It reminds me of Cezanne, each mark a piece of a larger puzzle, an ongoing conversation about seeing and feeling. It suggests that art is less about perfect representation, and more about the beauty of exploration.