*
Of course, you have already guessed who it was. Again I was lucky enough to meet Martiros Sarja Mr. and again I can not hide the excitement, pacing the studio, where it is light in any weather, at any time, th ¬ da, where Sarian spent many tedious hours.
Often, before taking up the brush, it is necessary to think, concentrate, take in the distant past. And then come to the aid of pictures - witness the creative highs, misled ¬ tions, searches.
More than two thousand paintings created Martiros Saryan. The walls of his studio paintings are hung in rows. On his desk lay the artist's favorite books, notebooks, where he writes down his thoughts and impressions.
Hard work requires a vacation. The artist sits in a chair, thinks ...
Saryan likes to talk. His piercing eyes atten-matelno you learn how to look into a soul. And every conversation about the painting begins when there are not high-sounding terms used kusstvovedcheskih, but with some simple words, labels and the image of ¬ GOVERNMENTAL.
- I can not imagine art without the sun, "says Saryan.
The best proof of these words - hanging on the wall Polot ¬ on. They singed sunny colors and create a feeling of light and space. Mentally, you climb up the steep ridge Zangezur and plunged into the cool mountain heights, you go to ... hot sand of Egypt. From there you get to the southern market with its hundreds of living still life.
Picasso aptly remarked: "There are artists who make out of the sun yellow spot, but there are artists who, through skill and intelligence embody a yellow spot into the sun." Saryan refers to the second. He brilliantly shows how you can put "yellow spot in the sun."
But the sun Saryan has its unique interpretation. This is not the fiery disc Dutchman Van Gogh, which causes burn the wheat fields of Saint-Remy, and not transparent gold Claude Monet, a gentle mist enveloping the Gothic cathedrals, and the boundless sea of warmth and happiness, which Sarian would fill the whole world. This is truly a sunny mood makes it beautiful
full-fledged language, and iskusstvo'-particularly cheerful.
*
Martiros Saryan was born in Nakhichevan-on-Don. Ancestors of his plow, in childhood, he knew the plight of the people, not just thought about life, clutching a handful of earth in his fist. And his first teachers were not famous painters, and simple peasants, strong and beautiful as the earth itself.
Junior Sarian often went along with the shepherds in the steppe and disappeared there for days. Even then, awakened in him a feeling ¬ stvo great love for nature.
He eagerly listened to stories of old men on the ancient land of their ancestors - the country Nair (so called in the past, Armenia), where they lived brave knights, black-browed beauty, great Ms. ¬ vopistsy and sages. The enemies have repeatedly tried to destroy this country ¬ well, demolished the magnificent temples and grandiose arena, burning people's homes and ancient manuscripts. But the sun as it gave people a new energy, and something that seemed lost forever, revived and gave new shoots.
He did not just imagine the distant forbidding mountains, pa ¬ lyaschee sun, the ruins of ancient cities. And he waited with impatience the day when personally be able to see the land of their ancestors. These my dreams he tried to portray in pencil on paper.
However, the first attempt ended in draw for young hu-dozhnika very sad. He was then working in the office to receive the newspapers, and he drew one of the visitors, but he soon fell ill and accused the boy's almost a witch! We had to destroy the image, but this case only increased the desire for creativity.
All ended with the home under the influence of the abbot ¬ GOVERNMENTAL councils surrounding decided to send Martiros in Moscow ¬ wu. A talented young man entered the Moscow School of painting of Mrs. ¬, Sculpture and Architecture.
It was for him a new world where conversations about the history of displacements ¬ huddled arguments on philosophical themes, and refinement of gradations of color or the laws of perspective often bordered on scientific discovery.
Its not. times can be found Sergei Ivanovich Schu ¬ kina - the largest collector of French Impressionist painters. In Shchukinskaya art gallery met art and literature, read poetry, knowledge-komilis with new paintings by Matisse, Gauguin, music Skrya ¬ bean, Rachmaninoff, Medtner ...
Near a talented and new at the time frequently stated his art painful and unacceptable. To distinguish the true from the ugly build-up, needed serious value ¬ tion, the depth of analysis. And then a huge role in shaping an artist played by the great teacher - Serov and Korovin, ardent foes of dilettantism.
"Serov carefully attended a portrait studio - wrote Martiros Saryan - and silently watched as scientists work ¬ ki. He interfered only in exceptional cases: the label and witty remarks gave the student to feel his mistakes. This sparing of words man lived passion for a ¬ schiysya master.
Korovin was very fond of giving practical advice and generally liked to say, but the painting, which he knew and feeling ¬ Vova, spoke with particular enthusiasm.
Participation Saryan in the exhibition "Golden Fleece" accompanies ¬ Xia contradictory views. Among the believers in the great future of the young artist - VA Serov. He carefully prosmat ¬ shall regard the exhibited works of his pupil, asked to delay the sale of some of them to be able to buy third ¬ kovsky gallery.
Life at the school like a battle.
In the smoking room, the classroom, in student debates are heated debates. In the evening, when dusk settles, the debate resumed with renewed vigor. Now with friends - Pavel Kuznetsov, Petrov-Vodkin, Polovinkin.
"Sometimes it seemed, - says the artist - that of the unencumbered tovstva talk about the properties of ultramarine or Prussian Blue and the restructuring of the world can collapse the walls of our wooden house."
... The first acquaintance with Armenia. The vivid colors of the landscape, and the diversity of colors of the characters. They hit Saryan, who grew up far from home, delighting in meeting with her immense beauty. But at the same time, it seems everything here is familiar and close. Wrinkled mountains, ancient ruins, tanned face ... In memory come to life stories that he heard in his childhood.
Years later he recalled: "Means I had limited er, I gradually mastering the language of painting, the palette, I was gray. The school gave me a lot, but I am just beginning to emerge an artist who has not yet been the language. Sunk into my head this idea of finding some new weapons, new tools to better and stronger pass on their enthusiasm and experiences.
Then, Turkey, Egypt, Persia. Fantastic pyramid, hot from the heat of the desert, a cloudless blue sky - the landscape affects the intensity and contrast of colors.
East attracts many European artists. They fled here from the elegance and bustle of civilization. Maxi ¬ MILIAN Voloshin gave them declination and consequently assessment: "They can give good, sometimes even brilliant pieces of art, but they have no roots on the living waters of his ancestral home.
Saryan East saw differently. Not a wanderer eyes ¬ schego amateur exotic curiosities, as eyes of the person seeking in the outside world is something real and close. He WI ¬ DIT and represents the East for what it really is. Perhaps no one has yet been able to do it ... And this is one of the merits of Saryan to the world painting.
After Italy, France. Flashed towns, villages, evil-Divine salons, museums. However, Konchalovsky Sarian meets with Venice. Young artists seconded here by the Soviet government at the XIV International ¬ you bet. Pictures Sarian receive rave reviews from the Italian press.
Three years later - Paris. Here is organized personal Eystavka works Saryan. The new success, the new recognition. This can not but rejoice. Especially in the role of arbitrators - yearning ¬ tional Parisians. France (like Italy) enriches the poetic nature Saryan, but leaves him as a painter. True, his palette is not silent. There he finds a lot, scat ¬ Vaeth some doubts, fills a lot of notes, notebooks,
but there is no one: a hot sun and harsh mountains ...
*
A staunch realist, he once again: anyone who is on-discontinuity from the ground, awaiting the fate of the mythological hero Ahn ¬ Thea. And, when some critics are trying to identify with his work various "isms", he immediately replies: "For me there is only the real world ..."
Saryan likes to think, looking at his paintings. Different and unexpected ideas come at such times in the head. And now, stopping at the pictures with flowering peach, he says:
- These trees grow in my garden. When I planted them, especially thinking about upgrading. So in painting - the most important thing to convey the property. As you can see, between nature and art a great relationship. Here's one of the fundamental laws of painting.
The artist tells me that back in 1908, he embarked on a path of realism and to this day to be his great tra ¬ ditsiyam. Realism has always been, in his opinion, the essence mi ¬ rovoy painting and had nothing to do with the mindless, craftsmanship ¬ lennym enduring nature on canvas.
- This is easily convinced, - says Saryan - at value-komstve with the masterpieces of Russian painting - from portraits to Our Lady of Vladimir Serov, or with artists revival ¬ tion to have succeeded, the canonical image of the Madonna forever zapechat ¬ negotiated the inspiring majesty of motherhood.
Observing life, constantly learning, delving into books, thinking over the fate of art, he always returns ¬ Xia thoughts to his native land. Prominent in the work of painter ¬ ka took portraits of his contemporaries, the people of Soviet Armenia.
In the middle of the studio is set fifteen-foot mural Ar-/her opinion. This is one of the new works Saryan. At the heart of it - three sketches, written back in his younger years.
- And what about without Armenia ", smiling, says the artist .- After all, a truly national carries a universal and has its unique beauty.
In his new job Sarian like reinventing and sum-mation multi monitor, transferring them to the canvas in a new interpretation. Here the sage and deep concern the fate of his native land and the unrestrained joy of a man, looking at the world through the eyes enthusiastic young man.
In the central part of the triptych towering patriarch of Armenians ¬ skih mountains - Ararat. At its base - green fields and orchards. Pn ¬ house - exultant dance of women, working peasants. Cloth impresses with its reassuring optimism. The right part of the triptych - Zangezur mountains, typical of the Armenian landscape. Beneath the burning earth moving caravans Verble ¬ Dov ...
All three of the panels on the content of different, but represent a whole: Hymn to the Motherland, written with a brush of the great citizen. The painting is executed in broad strokes, for kazhu ¬ scheysya simplicity conceals a broad generalization and more you-striking.
Martiros talks about the days when he wrote one of the sketches of the triptych:
- It was long ago, in the thirties. I worked in the mountains, local farmers have followed closely the work. Sometimes, put them in an apt word. How much wisdom lies in the simple to ¬ native words! From the people we know much ... And no one was surprised ¬ lyalsya unusual color land or mountains.
Ordinary people, he said, is often understood his art better than some critics, pick it "frankizirovannogo Armenian" or "armyanizirovannogo Fran ¬ Frenchman."
- Meanwhile, my road to achieve both the French and Armenians. And my great teachers Serov and Korovin! A genius ¬ s' Artist of the Armenian Renaissance Toros Roslin! All that has been created by human genius, belongs to all peoples. Heads ¬ tion - to think deeply, do not become airborne and remain ¬ vatsya honest.
*
Not years, ages creator. He parted ways with the youth, when he left the daring, wide flight of ideas. And if so, then Martiros still quite young. Time furrowed his face wrinkled, covered with gray head, but could not deprive him of his big dreams and youthful enthusiasm. Lived large and co-derzhatelnaya life. Hand on heart, could easily tell it that it is fully devoted to his people.
And his art unremarked. Among the painters Sarian first awarded the title of laureate of the Lenin pre ¬ emy, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. His talent admired Lunacharskii, Ilya Ehrenburg Saryan called "one of the largest, if not the largest of the Soviet artists.
In the 88 years he spent at the easel for 8-10 hours a day. Looking at his recent work - "the granddaughter of Mrs. Sarian", "Landscapes from the Dvina fortress", "Self Portrait" - it is difficult to ¬ to believe that they belong to brush octogenarian man ¬ age. Still youthful perception of the world, still vigorous strokes, watchful eyes and brilliant color, and the decision component ¬ zitsii.
Saryan was elected Chairman of the Society for the Protection of Armenian monuments. The reasons people come to such a re ¬ sheniyu, very good. Saryan great connoisseurs ancient ¬ ARRANGEMENTS. Long hours he spent in contemplation by the ruins of Mona ¬ Styr and temples. He was eager to experience nature is found here not less spiritual food than in the canvases of the great predecessors ¬ nick-painters.
He has many plans and ideas. They are as fresh as the unfading colors of his canvases. In the studio, on the desk, are sketches for stained-glass panel, which will be the mouth ¬ stalled in the main foyer of the Philharmonic. And once again we face glowed ¬ ing paint Armenia, undying passion of the artist. In the nucleation ¬ Denia this new art form for Armenia greatest merit Saryan.
In an extensive exhibition in Moscow, which was held in honor of the eighty-artist, we again saw him, gray and eternal, surrounded by many admirers. Sarian says, shares his thoughts with young people, joking. He does not want to be with their age, the indefatigable old man.
The Moscow exhibition presented various periods creative-operation MS Saryan, various genres. There were exhibited then ¬ thirds, landscapes, genre scenes, graphic works, theatrical ¬ WIDE scenery. In the first room all seen an unusual auto ¬ portrait "Three children". The three men are depicted here, three different Saryan. The young man crossed the threshold of maturity, the adult painter and an old man. But there is something that unites these "three ages": the artist's personality, his life ¬ lyubie, psychic youth, devotion to art. And over his shoulder ¬ mi all three of them - one: the mountains of Armenia.
*
It is said to better understand Saryan, to visit Armenia, to verify the existence of unusual eye color. It's true. But in order to better understand Armenia, should, in turn, to visit Saryan. That is why the house in Yerevan on the streets of Moscow, where he lives Sarian became a place where every visitor wants to get Armenia. In this house never will hear ¬ shish traditional "celebrities" answers: "not in the spirit", "no home", "sick". Martiros always healthy, always happy people and possibly find time to communicate with them.
- So, this time torn away from work! .. Where to you go?-Natured joking boss and immediately recognized that, without communicating with people it can be difficult.
Saryan attentive to visitors - he knows that "the only real ¬ but the strict and fair judge of art is the people."
When ... I was raised with the artist on a high ladder workshop and invited him to rest, he looked at me in bewilderment:
- Is it a man must get tired?
Then, a pause, he added:
- Who is no longer tired, he is no longer live.
In these words all Sarian - looking, cheerful, non-aging.
T. Zurabyan "Colors of different times"