Head of the girl 1923

Martiros Sarian made this “Head of a Girl” painting sometime in the 20s, and I’m seeing it as a gentle symphony of pinks, blacks, and creams. Imagine Sarian standing before the canvas, mixing those delicate skin tones, that deep, almost velvety black of her hair and dress. The paint isn't thick like impasto, but smooth, allowing light to bounce off the surface. Her gaze, directed off to the side, gives a sense of intrigue, almost as if she knows something we don’t. It’s fun to think about what Sarian was trying to capture. Was it a specific person, or an ideal of beauty? Her face is made with flat planes of colour - it almost reminds me of Picasso. The early modernists were all in conversation with each other, soaking up each other’s ideas like sponges. Painting’s a conversation across time, an ongoing exchange of ideas, inspiring us to see and feel in new ways. It’s not about answers but about embracing ambiguity.