Kuluta 1937

Nicholas Roerich made this painting, Kuluta, using what looks like tempera to depict a mountain scene. The palette in this piece is limited, but it’s the subtleties that get me going. Check out how Roerich contrasts the sharp, angular peaks with the smooth washes of color in the sky, it really pops! You can almost feel the crisp mountain air, right? Roerich's application of paint is so interesting; it's almost like he’s building these mountains up layer by layer. In the foreground, the dark blues are velvety and dense, while in the distance, the blues become almost ethereal. I love the way the white paint creates these sharp, jagged edges on the mountain tops. It’s as if each brushstroke is a tiny chisel, carving out the landscape. This piece reminds me of Hilma af Klint, maybe because of the shared interest in spiritual expression, and the layering of color. But where Klint is all about abstraction, Roerich gives us a landscape we can almost step into, and that makes all the difference.