Himalayas. Mountains lit by sunset. 1941

Nicholas Roerich made this painting of the Himalayas, Mountains lit by sunset, using watercolor on paper. Look at how he's layered color upon color, especially in the sky. You can really see the work that went into it. The watercolor gives the mountains a soft, almost dreamlike quality. Up close, you can see how Roerich built up the forms with washes of color, letting the paper peek through in places. It’s really like a dance between control and letting go, isn't it? Notice how the light catches the peaks – that golden, almost ethereal glow. Then there's the dark, brooding shadows, grounding the whole scene. It feels so atmospheric, you can almost feel the chill in the air. Roerich’s fascination with spiritual themes and the natural world reminds me of Agnes Martin’s serene abstraction. Like Martin, he invites us to slow down and contemplate the sublime. It’s a reminder that art isn’t just about what we see, but how we see.