Himalayas 

Nicholas Roerich made this view of the Himalayas using pastel on cardboard. The humble materials are important to the work's overall meaning. Pastels are essentially pure pigment, ground into a dry stick. Unlike oil paint, pastel doesn't involve complex mixing or lengthy drying times. It’s a direct medium, perfect for capturing fleeting impressions. You can see that in the hazy light Roerich renders here. The cardboard support, too, is an interesting choice, far removed from the precious canvas of academic painting. Roerich was deeply interested in spirituality, and traveled extensively in Asia. He saw the Himalayas as a place of profound beauty and power. By using such simple materials, he avoids any sense of grandiosity, conveying a sense of direct, unmediated experience. It's as if he wanted to bypass the artifice of “high art,” getting straight to the essence of the mountains themselves. This emphasis on material honesty is what gives the image its lasting impact.