Nanda Devi 1941

Nicholas Roerich made this painting of Nanda Devi with paint, and the making feels very present. The painting is about a mountain range, but it is also about the act of painting itself. What I love about this painting is how Roerich builds up the form of the mountains with layers of color. Look closely, and you'll see how he uses these blues and purples to create a sense of depth and volume. It's almost like he's sculpting the mountains with paint. The surface is smooth, and he’s using thin layers to almost create a sense of light and shadow. The way the colors shift and change across the surface creates a sense of movement, as if the mountains are constantly shifting and changing before our eyes. It reminds me of Cezanne. Both artists are interested in the way that we perceive the world around us, and how painting can be used to capture that perception. Ultimately, it’s all about the process.