The Martiros Saryan House Museum is located in the very heart of Yerevan, on Saryan Street, just a short walk from the Opera House. This cozy museum, once the home and studio of the great Armenian painter Martiros Saryan, beautifully preserves his creative atmosphere and showcases his vivid artworks inspired by Armenia’s nature and people.
Martiros Saryan (1880–1972) was one of the great artists of the twentieth century and a true master of color. “Color is a true miracle!” the artist once exclaimed. “In combination with sunlight, it creates the inner content of form and expresses the essence of universal being.”
Saryan’s canvases, painted in bright, rich colors, introduced a new aesthetic perception. They made it clear that art is not just an imitation of reality—it demands freedom of imagination and abstraction. At the same time, the artist preserved the simplicity of natural forms in his work. He always considered nature to be his greatest teacher.
Saryan in the first half of the 1910s was a bold innovator, skillfully blending the artistic traditions of the East with the new movements of twentieth-century European art. He gained recognition in Russia, where his paintings were acquired by the Tretyakov Gallery, and some were even exhibited across Europe.
In 1921, Saryan settled in Armenia with the intention of dedicating his art to the spiritual revival of his people. Despite the ideological constraints of the Soviet Union, which posed challenges to the free development of creativity, Saryan remained true to the principles of his style and his vision of the world.
The artistic techniques and expressive forms he had developed earlier gained deeper meaning over time. As the founder of the modern Armenian school of painting, Saryan upheld timeless, universal values—this is where the global significance of his legacy lies.
Saryan enjoyed sharing his thoughts on the essence of art and the creative process. Whether spoken or written, his reflections were filled with poetic beauty and deep philosophical meaning.
In his wise and heartfelt words, Saryan explored many aspects of aesthetic perception, revealed the secrets of artistic mastery, and taught us “to look with the eyes and see with the heart.”
- “I was full of love, sincere love. I saw myself in my paintings…”
- “Look with your eyes and see with your heart! Sometimes you look at brightly lit mountain chains and marvel at the variety of shades—from light blue peaks to deep purple slopes. When you transfer all this richness of color onto canvas, people are surprised: ‘Are there really purple mountains?’”
- “The ability to wonder is man’s greatest gift… Wonder opens the way to truth. Just look around you—see what a beautiful land we live on. No wonder it is called Mother Earth. She gave birth to all living things: plants, animals, people. She allows us to live, to see, to feel.”
- “More than anything, I love the sun. To love the sun is to love the world, to love the earth and everything on it. We are tied to the sun; it has pulled us along for centuries. Where to? We don’t know. Generations come and go, but the sun remains within each of us. So let us stay true to this great law. Let us love life, love light, love love—and through our work, honor the trust of nature.”
- “Likeness isn’t the most important part of a portrait. I never give my subject an artificial pose. I talk to the person, and gradually they settle into the position that reflects what matters to them. That’s the moment I capture. Some portraits I painted in just one or two sessions. It’s important to keep the impression fresh—and you have to paint with ease, simply.”
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