Traces 1917

Nicholas Roerich crafted this painting, *Traces*, layering blues and whites to conjure a vast, frozen landscape under a pale sky. Imagine Roerich at his easel, wrestling with the cold palette, each brushstroke building up the rugged forms of the mountains and the endless expanse of snow. I wonder if he mixed his own blues? There’s something about the slightly off-kilter tonality that gives a magical air to the painting. The figure of the skier, rendered in muted browns, adds a human element, a narrative of perseverance against the formidable backdrop. The way he leans on the spear, the fabric of his tunic, the set of his shoulders. What was Roerich thinking? There's something of Symbolism, the way it evokes both physical and spiritual journeys. Artists are always in conversation across time, grappling with the same themes of existence. Painting, like life, embraces the unknown, inviting us to find our own path through the drifts.