Pass. Tempest. Secret path. 1936

Nicholas Roerich made this painting, Pass. Tempest. Secret path., using watercolour to create a mountainous scene. The mountain forms are built with layers of transparent colour, that allow us to see through the misty peaks. Roerich's marks are economic, direct, yet allow for a depth of colour and tone that implies volume and space. The use of watercolour gives the work a unique texture, the paper absorbs the pigment, creating a sense of light and shadow. At the base of the mountain, three small figures make their way across the landscape, they are dwarfed by the huge mountain, which gives a sense of scale. It's easy to read the work as romantic, a sweeping landscape, yet there is a darkness to the colour palette that creates a sense of brooding. Roerich seems to be an ancestor of Vija Celmins, who made stunning drawings and paintings of the night sky and seascapes. Like Celmins, Roerich finds a way to portray landscape without sentimentality or bravado.