Lahaul 1931

Nicholas Roerich painted this piece, Lahaul, using tempera, with what looks like a dry brush technique, building up layers of colour over a textured surface. Looking at how the paint sits on the surface, you can almost feel the dry, chalky quality of the tempera. The colours, especially those purples and yellows, create a dreamlike atmosphere. There's a tactile quality to the mountains, they seem solid and yet kind of mirage-like, too. Look closely at the peak on the right – how the pigment is dragged across the surface, catching on the high points, leaving a trail of golden light. It's as if the mountain itself is radiating this light, like some kind of holy beacon. Thinking about Roerich’s stage designs, it makes sense that he’s using colour and form to build a sense of drama and atmosphere. There's a connection here to someone like Marsden Hartley, another artist who used landscape to express spiritual and emotional states. Ultimately, this painting reminds us that seeing is never just about what's in front of us, but also what's within us.