plate no. 7788

Ararat from Dvin

Martiros Sarian, 1952

oilPost-Impressionismlandscapemountainslandscapetreesskyfieldbuildings

recreation guide

Martiros Sarian’s 'Ararat from Dvin' (1952) is a landscape painting that reflects his role as the founder of a modern Armenian national school of painting (Source 4). The work is grounded in the tradition of landscape art, which depicts natural scenery such as mountains and wide views, often including the sky as a primary element (Source 1). Sarian’s style is identified as Post-Impressionism, a movement that made landscape painting a main source of stylistic innovation (Source 3). His works were largely inspired by his travels to Armenia and the Middle East, and he permanently moved to Armenia after the establishment of the ASSR, focusing on the Armenian landscape (Source 4, Source 5). The painting likely embodies the 'special nature of the landscape of the homeland,' a tendency in national schools of painting to express local topography (Source 3).

estimated time

20-30 hours over 5-7 sessions

materials

5 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil paints (pigment + drying oil)	Primary medium for the artwork	—
Linseed oil	General purpose drying oil for mixing paints	—
Safflower or Poppyseed oil	Mixing lighter colors like white to prevent yellowing	—
Canvas or linen support	Surface for oil painting	—
Palette knives and brushes	Application of paint	—

preparation

surface prep

Prepare a linen or canvas support, as linen is a traditional support for oil painting derived from the flax plant (Source 2). Prime the surface with a ground suitable for oil painting. Sarian’s practice does not specify a unique ground preparation in the provided sources, so standard oil painting priming is recommended.

underdrawing

The sources do not specify Sarian’s underdrawing technique for this specific work. However, landscape painting often involves arranging elements into a coherent composition (Source 1). A light charcoal or thinned oil sketch may be used to establish the wide view and mountain forms, consistent with general landscape practices.

underpainting

Consider using a grisaille (monochrome underpainting) to establish values before applying color. This technique involves extracting red and yellow colors to translate what would be left in nature, then glazing and scumbling colors over the dry grisaille (Source 8). This method was practiced by old masters and can help harmonize colors inherent to the landscape (Source 8).

color palette

White

Lead white (historical) or Titanium Zinc (modern)

General use; historically valued for opacity and fast drying, though modern equivalents are safer (Source 2)

Earth tones (Ochres, Umbers)

Natural earth pigments

Depicting the Armenian landscape and topography, consistent with Sarian’s inspiration from Armenia (Source 4, Source 5)

Blues and Greens

Ultramarine, Viridian, or mixed greens

Sky and vegetation; sky is almost always included in landscape views (Source 1)

Reds and Yellows

Cadmium, Alizarin, or modern equivalents

Glazing and scumbling over the underpainting to add warmth and local color (Source 8)

composition

The composition likely features a wide view of Mount Ararat and the Dvin area, arranged into a coherent composition with the sky as a significant element (Source 1). Sarian’s work reflects the Armenian landscape, so the topography should be prominent (Source 4, Source 5). The painting may exhibit the 'gigantic size' or grand scale associated with nationalist statements in Russian and Soviet art, though this is a general tendency (Source 3).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the basic forms of the mountains, valleys, and sky on the primed canvas.
Tip — Ensure the wide view is coherent and the sky is included (Source 1).
Preliminary sketch

underpainting

step 02
Apply a grisaille underpainting using black, white, and ultramarine to establish values and composition.
Tip — This monochrome layer helps in harmonizing colors later (Source 8).
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Once the grisaille is dry, begin glazing and scumbling with oil paints, starting with yellow and red tones.
Tip — Glazing is a transparent coat; scumbling is semi-opaque. Use linseed oil for mixing (Source 2, Source 8).
Glazing and Scumbling

refining

step 04
Build up the landscape details, paying attention to the modifications of light and color due to simultaneous contrast.
Tip — Be aware that colors may appear different due to adjacent hues; adjust accordingly (Source 6).
Simultaneous Contrast

finishing

step 05
Refine the sky and mountain forms, ensuring the weather and atmospheric effects are coherent.
Tip — Weather is often an element of landscape composition (Source 1).
Atmospheric Perspective

varnishing

step 06
Allow the painting to dry completely before applying a varnish if desired.
Tip — Ensure the paint is fully dry to avoid trapping solvents.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing and Scumbling

Used to apply color over a dry grisaille underpainting, allowing for harmonization of colors inherent to the landscape (Source 8).

Simultaneous Contrast

Understanding how adjacent colors affect each other’s appearance, helping to accurately depict modifications of light and color (Source 6).

Oil Mixing

Using linseed oil for general mixing and safflower/poppyseed oil for lighter colors to prevent yellowing (Source 2).

common pitfalls

→Using linseed oil for white pigments, which can cause yellowing over time (Source 2).
→Ignoring simultaneous contrast, leading to inaccurate color perception and application (Source 6).
→Applying glazes before the underpainting is fully dry, which can cause cracking or mixing issues (Source 8).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific color palette used by Sarian for 'Ararat from Dvin' is not detailed in the sources.
·Exact brushwork or impasto techniques specific to this painting are not described.
·The specific topographical details of Dvin and Ararat as depicted in the painting are not provided in the text.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

Laws of Contrast of Colour↗
- 315. As to the advantages the painter will find in it — applied to Color harmony and simultaneous contrast
The Practice of Oil Painting↗
- COLOURING A MONOCHROME — applied to Grisaille underpainting and glazing techniques

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia: Landscape painting↗
- Landscape painting — part 1 — applied to Composition and inclusion of sky/weather
- Landscape painting — part 7 — applied to Post-Impressionist context and national landscape traditions
Wikipedia: Oil painting↗
- Oil painting — part 4 — applied to Materials and oil mixing techniques
Wikipedia bio — Martiros Sarian↗
- Martiros Sarian — part 1 — applied to Artist’s background and inspiration from Armenian landscape
- Martiros Sarian — part 3 — applied to Focus on landscape painting during his career