Himalayas 1938

Nicholas Roerich painted "Himalayas" with what looks like tempera, giving us this super-smooth surface and dreamy color palette. I like to imagine Roerich out there in the mountains, trying to capture this epic scene. You know, those peaks aren't just standing there; they're like these monumental shapes, pushing up with this awesome, quiet force. I feel the paint itself is kind of watery here, or maybe chalky, like he's trying to catch the very essence of the mountains. Look how he layers those blues and whites – it’s a real balancing act, right? It's like he’s not just painting what he sees, but what he feels being there. The way the paint glides and sits on the canvas. I feel like the painting is an image of a great painting. Painters, we're all looking at each other, riffing off each other’s energy through time. Roerich definitely leaves space for us to bring our own experiences to his art.