Tibetian lama 1927

Nicholas Roerich made this print titled “Tibetan Lama” and you can tell he’s thinking about light. It is so sunny and saturated that it makes you squint! I imagine Roerich outside with his printing plate in the sun, trying to capture what it feels like to look at someone who is looking down, away from the sun. I think of the way yellow light hits the side of things, especially in a hot climate. It's like he’s trying to grab that feeling and put it in the lama’s face. I imagine Roerich trying to push and pull the image, printing, wiping, and reprinting it over and over until he felt like he got it just right. He’s in dialogue with the light and shadow. I think that’s how the best paintings are made, by just trying to capture a feeling.