Tibet 1937

This is a painting of Tibet by Nicholas Roerich, and it's like he's mixed the real world with a dream. The colors! Purples and blues that feel like they’re breathing, a real process of layering. There's something so tangible about the way Roerich puts paint to canvas. It’s not trying to trick you into thinking it’s real, instead, it's like a stage set, inviting you into a mood. Look at how the buildings are solid, but the mountains behind them dissolve into the sky. That layering of form is so striking. And that foreground texture, almost like the earth is decorated with these flowing swirls - everything has its own rhythm, and it all plays together, just like a conversation. Roerich's paintings remind me of Arthur Dove, in that they're both trying to capture a feeling more than a place. In the end, it’s not about one single interpretation, but about the many ways we can experience a landscape.