Monhegan (study) 1922

Nicholas Roerich made this pencil sketch, Monhegan (study), on paper, we don't know exactly when. It’s interesting how the softness of the pencil and the way he's layered the marks creates a real sense of distance. Look at the largest rock formation on the page, the way he’s used different densities of hatching to imply shadow. See how there are these little notations scrawled on the rocks, too - almost like the landscape is giving up its secrets. The surface of the paper is so pale, so unmarked in some areas, it is almost ghostly. There's a relationship here with Cezanne, or maybe even an early Guston, in the way he's mapping out a space with these simple, almost child-like gestures. It feels provisional and permanent at the same time. It’s like he’s trying to grab something fleeting and pin it down, but knows he can’t really. Like a half remembered dream.