Portrait of Cecilia Mansurova 1957

Martiros Sarian painted this portrait of Cecilia Mansurova on canvas, using oil paint, and I think it's all about the way he's pushing and pulling color. There's a real freshness to how Sarian's laid down the paint, particularly in the face. Look how the pinks and reds create a sense of depth and volume, it's like he's sculpting with color. The brushstrokes are visible, energetic, giving the surface a real liveliness. The blacks are dense, yet broken up with dashes of white, creating a visual vibration, and that scarf thing around her neck is just amazing. Sarian reminds me of Matisse in his use of bold color and simplified forms, but he has his own unique voice. It's a great example of how art is a conversation across time, artists responding to and building upon each other's ideas. It's open for us to think about.