Mottled landscape 1924

Martiros Sarian made this landscape painting with oils, and what strikes me is how he's rendered the land in bands of sun-baked hues. I imagine him layering these colours, one over the other, building up a sense of heat and light. The hills, painted in strokes of peach, ochre, and lavender, roll out like waves towards a distant horizon. It’s as if Sarian wanted to capture not just the look of the landscape, but also the feel of it - the dry air, the sun beating down, the sense of timelessness. The paint looks thin, like washes, allowing the colours to glow. I’m particularly drawn to the way he's placed those cypress trees—like dark exclamation marks against the lighter tones of the village. Sarian’s paintings have this wonderful ability to take something real, something seen, and transform it into a world that feels both familiar and utterly new. He’s part of a tradition of artists who invite us to see the world anew.