Blue pitcher 1910

Martiros Sarian’s “Blue Pitcher” is a still life made with what looks like gouache. It’s got this playful, almost geometrical vibe, with each shape and color asserting itself boldly. I imagine Sarian, squinting at the setup, maybe a little frustrated, but determined to capture the essence of those forms. Those confident brushstrokes, like he's wrestling the scene onto the canvas. The blue pitcher itself is so solid. It’s this anchor amidst the riot of botanical life, reds and oranges. Then, he adds an odd, bluish shadow to make the objects really *pop*. It makes me think of other artists, like Marsden Hartley, who similarly wrestled with form and color in a kind of joyful struggle. What they both did was find this really vibrant and unique way of seeing. That's the real conversation happening here, across time and space. It's like they're showing us how to look at the world with new eyes.