Silvery realm 1938

This painting, "Silvery Realm," was created by Nicholas Roerich at an unknown date. The entire vista seems to be cast in shades of blue. It makes me think about the kind of intuitive process you see in artists like Marsden Hartley. Roerich’s paint application is really fascinating here; broad strokes of cool blues and whites build the form of the mountains, which are echoed in the more solid dark mass of the foothills below. Look at the way the light glances off the peaks - almost as if they are made of some translucent material, as if the substance of the mountain is secondary to the effect of the light. I particularly love how the peaks in the distance seem to fade into the sky, blurring the distinction between earth and atmosphere, giving the painting a sense of infinite space and mystery. This feels like a conversation with Symbolist artists like Odilon Redon - who used similar color palettes and blurred edges to create dreamy, otherworldly images. Ultimately, Roerich’s painting resists easy categorization; embracing ambiguity to create an atmosphere of both beauty and uncertainty.