The Armenian woman 1946

Mariam Aslamazian painted this sensitive portrait of The Armenian Woman using oils. The muted greys are brushed on thickly, almost masking the brown of her dress. I like to imagine Aslamazian stepping back from the canvas, squinting, mixing colors, and then lunging forward to make another mark. What was she thinking about as she painted? Her hopes, dreams, frustrations? The painting feels like a personal exchange, an emotional document rendered in shades of grey. Look at the almost lurid blush around the sitter’s eyes and cheeks. It brings a touch of the surreal to the otherwise realist portrait. The tilt of the sitter's head and the direction of her eyes evoke the work of other painters. The painting is a kind of conversation across time. Aslamazian speaks to us now, as we consider her work in relation to the history of portraiture. Ultimately, painting is like this: open to interpretation, a feeling, a mood, a vibe, rather than a fixed thing.