Ararat 1923

Martiros Sarian drew Ararat with graphite on paper. Looking at this drawing, I imagine Sarian sketching outdoors, maybe even balancing his pad on his knee. You know, it’s kind of interesting how some artists need to be in front of the motif. It looks like Sarian really wanted to capture the essence of the landscape, the mass and quietness of the mountain. The texture created by the graphite feels immediate, like he’s trying to grab the realness of the place quickly, and the shading gives volume to the mountain. It’s like he's not just drawing what he sees, but also what he feels about the place. You can see how he is really trying to depict the unique character of the mountain and how it relates to the surrounding landscape. There is something so human about trying to record a slice of our experiences.