Artwork
Persian Still Life
Persian Still Life is a tempera painting by Martiros Saryan. It dates from 1913 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Armenia.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1913, Persian Still Life is a tempera painting by Martiros Saryan, a central figure in the formation of modern Armenian painting. The work depicts a modest arrangement of a vase, a plate and assorted fruit set against a warm, golden backdrop. It is part of the National Gallery of Armenia’s permanent collection.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents everyday objects, a tall, slender vase, a round plate with a decorative rim, and a small bowl holding apples, grapes and pears, arranged on a surface that suggests a table or shelf. The simple grouping emphasizes the quiet beauty of domestic still life, inviting contemplation of form and color harmony.
Technique & Style
Executed in tempera, the painting features flat, unmodulated areas of pigment that lend a crisp, luminous quality to the objects. Saryan’s handling is restrained yet precise, with clean outlines and a limited palette that accentuates the warm, golden background and the subtle contrasts among the fruit and vessel.
History & Provenance
Born in Nakhichevan-on-Don in 1880, Saryan traveled extensively through Armenia and the Middle East, experiences that informed his vivid compositional choices. Persian Still Life entered the National Gallery of Armenia’s holdings, where it remains accessible to the public as an example of his early 20th‑century output.
Artist & collection
Artist
Martiros Saryan (Armenian: Մարտիրոս Սարյան; Russian: Мартиро́с Сарья́н; 28 February 1880 – 5 May 1972) was an Armenian painter, People's Artist of the USSR (1960), member of the USSR Academy of Fine Arts (1947),…
- Still Life
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