The Last Angel 1942

Nicholas Roerich made this painting, The Last Angel, with what looks like tempera or maybe distemper, giving it that lovely matte finish. The scene is apocalyptic: cities burning, mountains looming, and an angel floating in the middle of it all, holding a sword and scroll, radiating a pinkish glow. I get the feeling Roerich built up this image layer by layer, letting the colors simmer and the forms slowly emerge. The paint application looks really flat, not a lot of texture, but that doesn’t stop the painting from feeling powerful. It’s like he’s using the flatness to create a sense of distance. The angel is a messenger but I wonder what the message is? I feel like maybe he's looking for the way out of the darkness. Roerich was painting in the early to mid 20th century. He was part of a bigger conversation with artists who thought painting could access spiritual and mystical realms. It makes me wonder what painting can be. Maybe a visual poem, maybe a portal.