Swirling glow 1945

Nicholas Roerich made this painting of mountains with uncertain materials and at an unknown time, and it's a trip. The pastel hues are built up in layers, like the slow creep of geological time. I am drawn to the big, jagged peak to the right, that's been described with broad strokes in shades of lavender, peach and charcoal. The paint isn't trying to trick you into thinking it's anything other than paint. The texture is velvety and soft, like it wants to be touched, even though I know I definitely shouldn't. Roerich reminds me of another mystic, Hilma af Klint. Both artists were interested in the spiritual in art, and maybe that's why there's a similar otherworldly glow to their work. Ultimately, this painting is more about the *idea* of a mountain, a symbol, a feeling, than a literal depiction. And that's something I can really get behind.