Shayok, the eighth day 1925

Nicholas Roerich's “Shayok, the eighth day” seems to be made with tempera, and gives a quiet feel, almost like a memory. I imagine Roerich building up the landscape with delicate layers of diluted colour. Look how these layers create a sense of depth and atmosphere, softening the peaks! I wonder if the eighth day means something about this place, maybe a holy day? Maybe the artist had a good morning when he woke up. That strong diagonal on the right is very striking! The way it cuts through the composition, drawing our eye towards the pale mountains in the distance. What was Roerich trying to capture, this sense of space and distance, or maybe something a little more spiritual? This painting feels part of a longer conversation between painters, a dialogue that stretches across time.