On the mountain slopes 1922

Martiros Sarian made this painting, On the mountain slopes, probably with oil paint and brushes. Looking at it, you can see the marks he made as he went along. The colours are earthy. I love the way the paint sits on the surface. It's not trying to be anything else, it's just paint doing its thing. The fields in the foreground appear to rise up toward us, marked with diagonal lines which lead toward the middle distance where he has built up layers and layers of dark green, punctuated by areas of bright white to indicate buildings. The mountains are rendered in a complementary rusty orange that vibrates against the cool blue of the sky. I wonder what brushes Sarian used? The marks are so decisive and clear. This piece reminds me of Milton Avery. In both painters, you can see how they make the most of a few simple shapes, letting the colours speak for themselves. Painting is a conversation that never ends.