Kuluta 1936

Nicholas Roerich made this scene, Kuluta, with paint that looks almost like tempera - chalky, and matte. Roerich’s blues feel so intense, almost vibrating against the whites of the mountains. I can only imagine what it might have been like for him to paint such majesty, looking at it, trying to capture these towering peaks, not just their physical likeness, but also their spiritual essence. Maybe he wondered about the mountains themselves, their silent witness to history, the stories held within their ancient rocks. There’s this deliberate geometry, sharp edges, and flat planes that create a sense of monumentality. It reminds me of other artists like Lawren Harris, who similarly found inspiration in the grandeur of nature. There’s something so powerful when painters use the landscape to convey a sense of the sublime.