Portrait of Mnatsakan Gyulnazaryan 1915

Martiros Sarian painted this portrait of Mnatsakan Gyulnazaryan using what looks like oil paint in earthy tones. The surface has a deliberately rough texture, and the brushstrokes feel pretty immediate. I wonder what it was like for Sarian in his studio? What was on his mind as he painted? I can imagine him working fast, trying to capture the essence of his sitter. The geometric shapes feel almost like emotional containers that reveal the contours of his mind. Look at those eyes, framed by the powerful browline. They seem to hold both intensity and a deep sense of peace. What secrets do they hold? Sarian’s painting reminds me of early modernist portraits by Picasso or Matisse in the way it simplifies and stylizes the figure. Yet, it also has a unique voice, a kind of Armenian sensibility. Artists like Sarian build on each other's insights across time, sparking new ways of seeing and feeling.