Spring morning in Baku 1959

Sattar Bahlulzade made this big, dreamy, landscape painting, probably in the mid-20th century. You can really see the making in it. The colours are so luscious and applied loosely; it’s all about the process. I love the way the textures in this piece create depth. The brushstrokes are visible, building up layers of paint like memories, which makes me think about the materiality of paint and how much you can do with it. Look at the way he’s rendered the sky, a soft mix of pink and blue. It dissolves into these pale horizon. The pigeons and flowers look like they’ve been painted wet into wet. The whole painting feels like a quick, instinctive, all-over mark. It reminds me a little of Joan Mitchell, in that it captures a feeling more than a depiction. It's like Bahlulzade is inviting us to dive into his memories of Baku. Art is so good at taking us there, isn't it?