Gathering peaches in the collective farm in Armenia 1938

Martiros Sarian made this painting of Armenian peach pickers with what looks like oil on canvas, though the date is unclear. The brushwork is so lively, almost like he's writing with paint. You can practically feel the sun and the weight of those peach-filled baskets! Look closely at the ground, that carpet of peaches. Each one is just a dab of color, a little sun, a little shadow. It’s not about getting every detail right, but about capturing the feeling of abundance. The colors are so warm, yellows and oranges, balanced by the cool greens of the trees. I love how the women are placed within the landscape, they are part of it, contributing to the harvest. Sarian reminds me of Matisse in the way he uses color to create a feeling. It’s not just about what things look like, but about how they make you feel. And that, to me, is what art is all about. The painting embodies the idea that there are always multiple ways to read an image.