Izborsk. Towers. 1903

Nicholas Roerich created this painting of towers, likely in oil, sometime in the early 20th century. The marks are laid on in thick strokes, almost like he’s building the towers with the paint itself. It’s all about the process of seeing and then making. The colors here are so material; gray-blues and greens, they really give the impression of stone and earth. I’m drawn to the way the paint is applied. Look at the surface, all built up like the rough texture of an ancient wall. There are these vertical strokes creating a kind of dripping effect, giving the impression of the passage of time. It is almost like the painting itself is eroding, alongside the towers it represents. Roerich reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley, they both had a similar way of combining abstraction with landscape. It’s like they’re not just painting what they see, but also how they feel about it. To me, art's more exciting when it raises questions rather than giving you all the answers.