Spring evening 1963

Sattar Bahlulzade painted this dreamlike "Spring Evening" with oil on canvas, and the way he handles the paint is something else. Look closely, and you'll notice how the texture is built up. It's not about smooth surfaces; it’s all about these visible, energetic strokes. The color palette is soft, but there is a certain vibrancy to it. See how the light seems to shimmer and move? That comes from the layering of the paint, the way one color peeks out from beneath another. Check out the gestures that make up the trees on the left side of the painting. See how Bahlulzade uses these long, flowing lines to create a sense of movement, a feeling that everything is alive and growing? For me, that’s what painting is all about – capturing a moment, a feeling, a sense of being in the world. He reminds me a bit of Van Gogh, but with a lighter, more ethereal touch. It is as though the two are having a conversation across time. It all just goes to show you that art is about embracing the unexpected.