Illustration for tale of Hovhannes Tumanyan 'Wolf' 1934

Martiros Sarian made this illustration for Hovhannes Tumanyan's tale 'Wolf' using ink on paper, and what grabs me first is the way he’s used these confident, scratchy lines. You can almost feel the pen digging into the surface, creating texture and depth. There's a real material honesty here. Sarian doesn't try to hide the process; instead, he celebrates it. Look at the way the wolves are rendered with these quick, gestural marks. They're full of energy, like a flurry of movement caught on paper. And then, there's that figure huddled above, rendered with the same directness, the same love of line. It's almost sculptural in its simplicity. I’m reminded of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who also had this incredible ability to distill form down to its essence. Both artists seem to understand that art isn't about perfection; it's about capturing a feeling, a moment, with as much honesty and directness as possible. It's a conversation across time.