Grief 1983

Morteza Katouzian captured this figure on a canvas measuring 60 by 80 centimeters; an intimate space, just large enough to hold this potent expression of melancholy. I imagine Katouzian layering umber and ochre pigments, pushing the paint around to model the heavy fabric and bare feet. There's a tangible weight to the figure, a stillness that suggests profound sorrow. The hands clasped around the knees, the head bowed, completely shrouded in the dark cloak. It’s like witnessing a modern interpretation of some Renaissance lamentation. The lighting is particularly evocative; the warm glow from above is in stark contrast to the somber shadows enveloping the figure. Notice the feet; these earthy, almost luminous extremities anchor the figure, and are perhaps the only part of them that’s alive. I wonder if Katouzian, in painting this, was thinking about the universal nature of loss, and how grief makes us want to hide away from the world? It's a powerful reminder of how artists across different cultures and eras grapple with the same emotions, creating artworks that speak to our shared human experience.