Karelian landscape 1917

Nicholas Roerich painted this Karelian landscape with what looks like tempera or maybe a thin oil, and it feels like an exercise in simple shapes and limited colour. Look closely, and you will see how the paint is applied in flat, opaque layers, creating a smooth surface. The brushwork is minimal, almost invisible, and the focus is on the overall composition rather than detailed rendering. The way the colours sit next to each other, cool blues and greens, evokes a sense of calm and stillness. The large cloud formation in the center of the painting is particularly striking. Notice how the blue peeks through the white, it's not quite right, but that imperfection feels honest and human. Roerich's landscapes often have a spiritual or mystical quality, and in this one, he reminds me of Marsden Hartley, especially in his later, more simplified landscapes. Like Hartley, Roerich invites us to contemplate the quiet beauty of the natural world through simplified forms and evocative colours. Both artists show us that art is not about perfect representation, but about capturing a feeling, a moment, or an idea.