Lotus 1911

Martiros Sarian painted this "Lotus," with what looks like gouache. The marks are put down pretty flatly, but the color! Notice how the blue background isn’t just blue—it's alive with variations, like water reflecting light. That big white flower is so present, almost blocking our view. But it's not just white, is it? There is a touch of orange, and it changes, reflecting the colors around it. Look at how the brushstrokes build the form, especially in the golden-brown foreground. They're not trying to trick you into thinking you're seeing real ground. It's paint, pure and simple, laid down with an honest hand. Each stroke feels like a decision, a small act of building something beautiful. It reminds me of Arthur Dove, who was also making a kind of abstracted, essential version of nature. Ultimately, art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration of what it means to see and feel the world.