Saraha – the Blessed Arrow 1925

Editor: So, this is Nicholas Roerich's "Saraha – the Blessed Arrow," created around 1925. It appears to be tempera on paper. There's a quiet, contemplative feeling to it. It's almost dreamlike, with those simplified shapes of mountains and trees. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the surface, I see layers of cultural memory and symbolism deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy. Roerich was fascinated by the spiritual East. The figure, likely Saraha himself, an important 8th-century Buddhist mahasiddha, sits in meditative pose, at peace, detached from the tangible and terrestrial in alignment with the intangible cosmic and sublime behind him. Consider the arrow – in many cultures, arrows signify direction, intention, a focused energy. But a *blessed* arrow suggests something more, a path towards enlightenment, perhaps. What effect does this meditative figure within this landscape have on you? Editor: It makes me think about the relationship between inner peace and the natural world, as if Saraha's serenity is reflected in the landscape itself, or maybe he found his peace within it. It’s like the mountains echo his stillness. Curator: Precisely. Notice the simplified forms – the mountains, trees, even Saraha himself, reduced to essential shapes. This isn’t about realism; it's about conveying a spiritual essence, an echo of ancient wisdom through these shapes, figures, and archetypes, inviting the viewer into a contemplative space. Roerich utilizes symbol as memory – that of something felt and contemplated rather than fact or object. Editor: It's interesting how Roerich uses that symbolic approach to convey the message so clearly. Thanks, I hadn’t thought about it like that. Curator: It shows the power of visual language across time and cultures. Examining how the artist presents a well known and universally identified archetype unlocks so many layers.