Armenian woman with bağlam 1915

This painting, Armenian Woman with Bağlam, is by Martiros Sarian. Look at the way he moves the paint around, it seems free, like he’s figuring it out as he goes, a real process. The colors are amazing, right? Like someone turned up the volume on everything. See that thick, saturated blue behind the still life? Then there’s that yellow object, kinda like a paisley shape, dotted with little blossoms. It's all so physical, the paint sits right there on the surface, you can almost feel it. Notice how he uses simple shapes and outlines, like in a coloring book. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, especially his use of color and pattern. But Sarian has his own thing going on, a kind of raw energy. It's not about perfection, it's about feeling. And that’s what art is all about, right?