Predicted Cloud 1921

Nicholas Roerich made this otherworldly scene called 'Predicted Cloud' using tempera, and looking at it I can almost feel him at work, carefully building up these ochre and terracotta forms. I wonder if Roerich was thinking about premonitions when he worked on this piece – the feeling of the air before a storm. It seems like the landscape is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. The brushstrokes are delicate and smooth, creating this sense of stillness, but the color palette is saturated and intense. The buildings almost look like they have grown organically from the earth, while those soft clouds in the background feel ominous, like they're full of secrets. Roerich reminds me of other painters who were interested in the metaphysical, like Hilma af Klint. These artists are in conversation across time, each inspiring the next. It’s as if they’re passing along a secret language through paint.