Rostov Veliky. Interior of church of Savior. 1903

Nicholas Roerich made this painting, Rostov Veliky. Interior of church of Savior., with oil on canvas. Look at the way Roerich builds up the forms with these little square dabs of color. It reminds me of the way we build up meaning through layers of looking and thinking. There's something so honest about leaving the marks visible, not trying to hide the process, but instead allowing us to see the labor of the hand. I'm drawn to the dark archway in the center, the way it frames a deeper space, a hidden world. The paint is thick here, almost sculptural, and the contrast with the golden columns creates a sense of depth and mystery. It feels like an invitation to step into the unknown. I think of Vuillard, with his interest in the poetics of domestic space, his talent for evoking a mood with his textured surfaces. Art, for me, is about embracing ambiguity, about allowing space for multiple interpretations.