In the Grove of Sambek

In his early period of creativity Sarian alongside with fairy-tale motifs also paid his attention to the real nature depiction. Landscape ‘In the Grove of Sambek’ is such a work.
In 1882, on the Sambek bank the painter’s father Sargis Sarian built a mud-brick house for his large family. The future artist spent his childhood there. The Sambek was not a full-flowing river and it used to shallow in sultry summertime and got covered with reed. For the first time in this work Sarian depicted his beloved red-haired dog – Polkan.
We know his name from Sarian’s notes. This foxlike dog also appears in his other later works, such as “Yerevan Courtyard in Spring’, ‘On the way to the Well’, ‘Fairy Tale’. The painting ‘In the Grove of Sambek’ testifies Sarian’s mature artistic manner and bright palette.