Wait 1901

Nicholas Roerich made this painting called "Wait" and though the date and whereabouts of the piece are unknown, the painting still speaks volumes. I think this artwork is really interesting because of how the artist handles the material, it seems Roerich created it using very diluted paint, and you can almost feel the surface of the canvas underneath. It's very textural and makes you feel like you could touch it and feel the grain. I’m drawn to the way that the trees are represented. They're not solid forms, but almost like a series of strokes that create a screen in front of the landscape. It's like the artist is inviting us to look through the trees and see the world beyond, a world of snow and a hunting party. Roerich's approach reminds me of the work of Marsden Hartley. Both of them had such a strong sense of place and a way of translating that feeling into paint. The real beauty of art is in the way it always leaves room for us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the table.