Bell Mountain 1932

Nicholas Roerich made *Bell Mountain* with watercolor, a medium that has its own ways of behaving. I see the artist layering washes of color, one over the other, to evoke the vastness of the mountain range. It’s so transparent. I imagine Roerich allowing the water to pool and blend, creating subtle gradations and atmospheric effects. These blues are so evocative, they suggest distance, tranquility, and maybe a touch of melancholy. The way the peaks emerge from the mist reminds me of the landscape paintings of the Hudson River School. Like Roerich, those artists sought to capture the sublime power of nature. But Roerich had his own thing going on. It's a testament to how artists across time keep talking to each other, trading ideas and inspiring new ways of seeing. Painting is a form of expression, and allows for multiple readings.