Himalayas 

‘The Himalayas, let me once again express to you my sincere admiration.’ 🏔️ Have you ever felt moved by the view of a landscape? The Russian artist Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) certainly did, producing almost 7000 works depicting the Himalayas during his career. 🌄 Known collectively as the ‘abode of snow’, the Himalayas in Asia are the world’s highest mountain range. Roerich created his paintings as records of his travels across the Himalayas; his name is almost synonymous with mysterious mountain landcapes. 🏞️ This oil on canvas painting exemplifies Roerich’s signature subject. The background mountain is illuminated with a striking light. Its white peaks are highlighted with strokes of pale pink which glow against the cool turquoise sky. This creates a powerful juxtaposition between light and shadow, lending the painting an immense and awe-inspiring quality that captures the ancient, powerful spirituality of the mountain range. 🌅 In the upper portion of the canvas, a crescent moon gently observes the dreamlike scene. As a symbolist painting, the mighty landscape seems alive with layers of meaning. Roerich provides an invitation to meditate and look beyond the material. He presents the Himalayas as a sacred space, teeming with spiritual treasure and potential. Alongside his artistic practices, Roerich was interested in ideas of hypnosis and ancient philosophies. Can you notice these ideas in his painting? 👐 Roerich tirelessly campaigned for the protection of art and culture for future generations. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize multiple times. In 1935, the United States pledged to the Roerich Pact, which promises to defend cultural objects from military damage. 🖼️ This painting is far from a simple depiction of an ordinary landscape. It explores the potential of art to expand the mind. What do you think? How does it make you feel? 👇💭 Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham