In old Yerevan 1930

Martiros Sarian painted "In old Yerevan" with oil on canvas, a traditional fine art medium. Looking at the artwork, it’s easy to see how much the materiality of oil paint influenced the overall appearance and character of the painting. Sarian has laid down areas of pure color, allowing the eye to mix them. You see this especially in the creamy blossoms of the foreground tree. This technique acknowledges the fundamental qualities of the materials: their capacity to be brushed out smoothly or laid on with textured strokes. Sarian also engages with a history of creative practices, such as Impressionism, where artists experimented with color and light to capture fleeting moments in time. Like those painters, he was also working in a rapidly changing social and political context, where traditional ways of life were giving way to modernization. The amount of work involved in the production process of painting like this should not be dismissed: Sarian had to mix the colors carefully to achieve his desired effects. Ultimately, by emphasizing the importance of materials, making, and context, we can fully understand the meaning of the artwork, challenging the distinctions between fine art and craft.