Ganges (Cold ravine) 1946

Nicholas Roerich made this image of the Ganges, and those cool mountain ravines, using pastel. You can see the marks building up, layer upon layer, as if Roerich felt his way into the landscape. There's something almost geological in how he builds those forms, the greens and blues fighting it out on the surface. Check out how the light seems to seep into the ravine from above, pooling in those high peaks. It's not quite naturalistic, but it creates this deep sense of space. The contrast between the pale sky and the intense blues and greens really pulls you into the depths. It's like a visual echo of the ravine itself. Roerich was doing his own thing, but I can't help but think of Marsden Hartley's landscapes and their shared love of bold colour. It's art as an ongoing conversation, right?