Waves of fog 1924

Nicholas Roerich created this oil on canvas painting, "Waves of Fog," which evokes a sense of serene immensity through its composition and color. The juxtaposition of the earthly foreground with the ethereal, blue-toned mountains creates a visual dialogue between the material and the spiritual. Roerich organizes the composition into distinct horizontal layers, each contributing to a sense of depth and symbolic meaning. The foreground is a golden field, transitioning into blue mountains partially veiled by what we understand is fog. This division is less about realism and more about conveying a symbolic ascent. The vertical elements—prayer flags and a stupa—interrupt the horizontal flow, acting as cultural signs that anchor the landscape in a specific spiritual tradition. The rough texture and visible brushstrokes add a tactile quality, emphasizing the materiality of the paint and the artist's hand. In his spiritual symbolism Roerich is not just representing a scene but also inviting us to contemplate transcendental themes. His landscapes are not mere geographical locations, but rather, they are visual metaphors of inner states.