Costume design of a Shipbuilder for "Peer Gynt" 1912

Nicholas Roerich made this costume design for "Peer Gynt" using watercolor and pencil. The strokes are really immediate, like he’s trying to grab a feeling, not just an image. The material quality here is fascinating. It’s on paper, but he builds up these layers that give the shipbuilder’s coat a real weight. Look at the way the black watercolor pools and settles, creating these deep, shadowy areas versus thinner, more transparent washes. There’s a roughness, an almost crude application of the paint that I love. It’s like Roerich is building this character from the ground up, one layer at a time. And there's something so great about the contrasting dark costume with the detailed, patterned purse hanging from his hand. It's like Roerich is suggesting there's more to this gruff shipbuilder than meets the eye. This character’s inner world is as intricately patterned as the purse. You know, this reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley's portraits, where the subject's personality comes through in these very direct, bold choices.