Sketch for Ladoga series 1918

Nicholas Roerich made this sketch for the Ladoga series with what looks like oil on board, and you can just see the process, the laying down of these thin layers of paint one on top of the other. The colours here are so muted, kind of grey-pink, grey-green, and grey-blue. Everything is reduced almost to nothing, but it still really feels like something. There is a real feeling of depth and a sense of atmosphere in this work. It’s not overworked, it’s just simple and direct. Look at the way he’s used the brush to create that textured horizon line. It's as though he's just loaded the brush and dragged it across the surface, allowing the texture of the board to come through. There's something in this work which reminds me of the paintings of Agnes Martin, in the sense of stillness, quiet and contemplation, of creating an image which contains everything and nothing. It's a really special piece.