Tidings of the Eagle 1927

Nicholas Roerich painted *Tidings of the Eagle* with tempera on canvas. The colours are muted, soft, like they’ve been aged by the sun, and there’s a real sense of stillness. There's a real contrast between the dark, shadowy rocks and the bright, almost luminous figure of the monk. Look at how Roerich uses these broad planes of colour to create a sense of depth and space. The paint looks quite dry, and chalky almost, like it's been rubbed into the canvas, especially in the rocks where you can see this kind of gentle gradations of tone that add to the sense of mystery. It’s a bit like you're looking into a dream or a memory. Roerich was a theosophist, and his work often deals with spiritual themes. You can see a similar preoccupation with inner landscapes in the work of Hilma af Klint, another artist who was deeply interested in the spiritual dimension of art. Ultimately, *Tidings of the Eagle* invites us to slow down, look closely, and consider what lies beneath the surface.