Ararat 1912

Martiros Sarian made this drawing of Ararat in 1912, probably with charcoal on paper. You can really see how the hand moves here, how the artist is feeling his way through the shapes. The drawing is spare, almost like shorthand. Look at the mountain – it’s built from these quick, confident strokes, like he’s just grabbing the essence of the form. Then there are the animals below, sketched with such minimal lines, yet they totally convey weight and movement. It's kind of amazing, right? There’s this beautiful balance between observation and pure gesture, that makes it come alive. It makes me think of Marsden Hartley, another artist who was trying to capture the feeling of a place, not just the look of it. This isn’t just a picture of a mountain and some animals, it’s a record of a way of seeing.