Magician 1943

Nicholas Roerich conjured ‘Magician’ with paint, I’m not sure when, but it feels both ancient and futuristic. The way he’s laid down these colours, it's like he’s building up layers of time and mystery. Look at the texture, how the chalky blues of the cave contrast with the warm, flickering oranges of the fire. The paint isn’t trying to hide itself; it's right there on the surface, almost raw. The way the figure is hunched over the fire, arms outstretched, it's like he's pulling something from the flames, or maybe offering something to them. It makes me think about alchemy, about transforming base materials into something precious. Roerich’s landscapes often have this otherworldly quality, this sense of something hidden just beneath the surface. It makes me think of Hilma af Klint, another artist who was reaching for something beyond the visible world. It’s like they’re both tapping into some deeper, collective consciousness.