Trees in blossom 1901

Martiros Sarian made this drawing, “Trees in Blossom,” in 1901 using pencil on paper. Look at the way he uses line to suggest form and depth, it’s all about the process of seeing and feeling a landscape, isn't it? There’s a lightness to the touch here, a real sense of the artist’s hand moving across the page. The texture is created by the varying pressure of the pencil, some lines are darker and more defined, others are faint and almost disappear into the paper. Notice the way he uses short, quick strokes to create the foliage, and longer, flowing lines for the mountains in the background. It’s as if he’s trying to capture the essence of the landscape, rather than creating a photographic representation. See that little cluster of plants near the bottom? The density of the lines there creates a sense of depth and texture. This piece reminds me of some of Cezanne’s drawings, that same focus on form and structure, but with a slightly more whimsical, dreamlike quality.