Mount “M” 1931

Nicholas Roerich painted Mount ‘M’ with tempera on canvas, and it’s currently hanging out here in New York. I love how Roerich reduces the mountains to these almost geometric planes, like simplified origami. The paint has this matte, chalky quality, and the colors are muted – blues, browns, and these hints of pink that make it feel both earthly and otherworldly. There's a kind of stillness, almost a quiet hum, that radiates from the painting. Notice how he’s built up the forms of the mountains with layers of short, choppy brushstrokes. Look at the way the light catches the peaks on the left – it's like he’s sculpting with color, making you feel the solidity and the grandeur of these mountains. Roerich's work reminds me a bit of Hilma af Klint, another artist drawn to spiritual themes, but Roerich’s got this grounded, almost folksy quality, that’s very much his own. Art isn't just about what you see, but what you feel and how it opens up your imagination, right?