Flowering garnet 1947

Martiros Sarian painted this piece, Flowering Garnet, with visible brushstrokes suggesting a real engagement with the process of artmaking. The colors in this painting feel very grounded, like they're pulled straight from the earth. The greens and browns are deep and rich, almost like you could reach out and feel the soil. Up close, you can see the way the paint is applied, thick in some areas, thin in others. There's this one spot, right in the middle of the bush, where the green and red kind of blend together. It's almost chaotic, but somehow it works. It gives the bush this vibrant, alive feeling, like it's bursting with energy. Sarian's work reminds me of Van Gogh, in the way he captures the energy of the natural world through his distinct brushwork and colour palette, but there is a tenderness here, a quiet sense of intimacy. Art is a conversation and this piece speaks volumes.