St. Mercurius of Smolensk 1918

Nicholas Roerich painted "St. Mercurius of Smolensk" using tempera, though when and where I don’t know. What I can say is the colors are so dense and bright they make me feel like I am looking at a Byzantine tapestry. The paint is applied in blocky strokes, creating a tapestry of textures which really makes the picture plane flatten out. See how the artist uses these vertical strokes and thick outlines, around the figure’s halo and robes? These techniques make the image more iconic. It reminds me of an orthodox icon, but also of late 19th century French painting. Roerich’s way of using the physical properties of paint, and the emotional power of color, speaks to me of someone deeply involved in the act of image making. It reminds me a bit of Marsden Hartley’s paintings in its combination of folk-art and avant-garde sensibilities. In the end, art is a conversation, full of echoes and personal meanings.