Dogra Yumtso 1932

Editor: Here we have Nicholas Roerich’s "Dogra Yumtso" from 1932, done with oil paints. It strikes me as a landscape caught between dream and reality. The colors are muted, almost otherworldly, but there’s still a sense of groundedness in the rocky foreground. How do you see it? Curator: For me, this painting is less about photographic accuracy and more about evoking a feeling, a sense of place tinged with the spiritual. Roerich was deeply influenced by theosophy and sought to capture the sublime, that overwhelming sense of awe inspired by nature, especially the Himalayas, which were a constant source of inspiration for him. Does the painting make you think of anywhere you've visited? Editor: A little – there's a stillness to it that reminds me of hiking in the mountains, but with more… distance. Curator: Exactly. It’s as if you're standing on the edge of the world. The colours, the arrangement, are all tools Roerich uses to push us into that mental space. Note the contrast of the rough earth tones in the foreground versus the ethereal blues and greens of the sky and water. He pulls you from one state to another, literally drawing your eye along. The painting also contains his belief in seeing and showing our beautiful connections between our souls and everything around us. It isn’t enough to just look at his work, but that he implores you to see! Editor: That's interesting; I was so focused on the colors and forms, I missed that implied invitation. Now, it definitely speaks to that feeling of connection and something larger. Curator: Sometimes, it's those silent invitations in art that speak the loudest, don't you think?