The blessing of the elderly 1923

Editor: This is Martiros Sarian’s 1923 piece, "The Blessing of the Elderly," rendered in ink on paper. It's stark, with such high contrast, and yet it feels intimate. What visual symbols or cultural memories resonate with you when you look at this image? Curator: The communal setting speaks volumes, doesn’t it? The men gathered, seemingly in council or celebration, evoke a timeless tradition of oral storytelling and shared wisdom. The contrast, as you noted, almost feels like a woodblock print, and recalls early printed narratives. Does it remind you of anything? Editor: I see that feeling of community, but the women standing apart makes me wonder about their role in this setting. Curator: Indeed, that division – a group portrait in two parts – creates a symbolic tension. It makes you question the silent dialogue, and the visible hierarchies represented here. Editor: I guess the way they are physically placed impacts how we perceive the emotional dynamics. The image reminds me of a symbolic language that has the purpose of establishing a certain truth, or some cultural memory related to hierarchies of status in social relations. Curator: Exactly. It's a layering of symbols that invites multiple interpretations depending on our own cultural lens. What does that mean to you in connection with the artist? Editor: This dialogue has definitely expanded my understanding beyond the visual impact of the ink itself. It’s a complex image layered with history. Curator: Agreed. This is how we can access what is being kept alive across different social relations, the memory of those ancient truths that keep reverberating over time.