Created in 1909, "Heat- Running Dog", is a tempera on board and one of Saryan's early work, demonstrating a distinct approach to landscape, representation of atmosphere and use of colour. The cezannesque treatment of colour transforms the landscape in to simplified planes, in turn aiding in intensifying the impression of overwhelming heat. Dominated by patches of ochre yellow, gray blue and black, Saryan's nature is rendered with little descriptive detail. The running figure of the dog, however adds movement to the scene and the right bent tree reinforces this sense of dynamism, across the otherwise static landscape. This approach was a shift away from the academic training Saryan received at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, where he was trained within the conventions of academic representation. His exposure to European modernism, particularly the works of Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse, offered an alternative visual language centred on expressive colour and simplified forms. These influences fueled his move beyond the conventions of academic representation, but Saryan’s artistic development was also deeply rooted in his cultural and geographical background. Born in Nakhichevan-on-Don in 1880 to an Armenian family, his early connection to Armenian culture would later become significant to his understanding and representation of landscape. In 1910, he travelled to Constantinople on a commission, beginning a series of journeys through the Middle East through which he sought to understand the East and its artistic traditions. These travels allowed his visual language to further incorporate Eastern influences, enriching his engagement with intense colour, light and landscape.
"Heat. Running Dog" is a colorful masterpiece of the early years of modernism. Created in 1909, it reflects the burning and sultry mood of a hot summer day. Using vivid and expressive brush strokes together with a vivid and warm color range of sun-baked ochre tones in contrast with deep shadows, Saryan manages to create the feeling of sultry heat. At the forefront of the picture, there is only one dog which runs fast in an arid landscape, thereby adding movement to the dead heat.
