Vignette for book "N. K. Roerich" 1918

This vignette for a book about himself was made by Nicholas Roerich, but we don’t know exactly when. Looking at this black ink on paper, I imagine Roerich carefully carving the linoleum, thinking about how to tell a story with dark and light. It’s all so deliberate, so unlike painting, where you can keep pushing the paint around. Here, there is a figure in the middle of the frame, seated, with their hand raised, perhaps in benediction or to illustrate the oral traditions of storytelling. Then there are these lovely zigzags on either side, reminding me of how Joan Miró would add those to his paintings. It’s so interesting how artists respond to one another, even unknowingly, across time. Roerich probably never saw Miró’s paintings, and yet, here we are, making connections. It shows how art is a constant conversation, a relay race of ideas and forms, each artist building upon the visions of those who came before.