Idols 1901

Nicholas Roerich made "Idols" with watercolor and tempera, and right away, you can see he's not aiming for realism. The way he builds up these vertical, totem-like figures—they're like rough sketches in paint. The colors aren't blended so much as layered, giving it this fantastic, almost theatrical feel. You can see the hand of the artist so clearly, and that makes it feel really personal. Take a look at the way he renders those skulls on the fence. They're not trying to be anatomically correct, right? They're more like symbols, quick marks that stand in for something bigger, like an ancient rite, which relates to the totem figures in the center. You can almost see him figuring it out as he goes. Roerich reminds me a bit of Hilma af Klint, who was also exploring spiritual themes, but with a completely different vocabulary. Both artists were after something beyond the surface, and that’s what keeps us looking.