Sanctuaries and Citadels 1925

Nicholas Roerich made this painting, Sanctuaries and Citadels, using oil paints. Looking at the painting, you see flat planes of color – ochres and umbers and creams – that make up the landscape and buildings. The way Roerich lays down the paint is really interesting; he’s not trying to blend or create a smooth surface. You can see the brushstrokes, and there’s a real sense of the hand in the making. It’s like he’s building up the image, block by block, with these strokes of color. I like the way he uses the paint to create a sense of depth and texture. See the way the buildings on the top of the mountain are defined, almost cubist, with sharp edges and flat planes? And how the color shifts from warm to cool as the mountain recedes into the background? There’s something about this combination of flatness and depth that feels very modern to me. It reminds me a little of Cezanne, in his landscapes, or maybe even some of the early abstract painters. Ultimately, the painting feels like an invocation or a memory, rather than a representation.