St. Mercurius of Smolensk 1918

Nicholas Roerich’s ‘St. Mercurius of Smolensk’ is an incredible painting, where every color feels symbolic. The dominant shades of blue, green, and earth tones create a mystical, spiritual atmosphere. Roerich was clearly trying to show us something beyond the obvious. I imagine him layering the paint, each brushstroke a meditation on history, spirituality, and the landscape itself. I sympathize with Roerich, trying to capture this ethereal quality. Look how he renders the saint and his horse emerging from the gate; the surface is textured, each color choice adding to the emotional weight of the scene. Even the halos appear as symbolic gestures. This is what I imagine he was thinking about when he was creating. Roerich's engagement with the spiritual and symbolic reminds me of other painters like Hilma af Klint, who were also exploring unseen realms through abstraction and color. Artists are in an ongoing conversation across time, and what feels like an invitation to explore, question, and connect.