Ladakh 1937

Nicholas Roerich made ‘Ladakh’ with paint, though what kind I can’t be sure. It’s all about layering, and a limited palette, building up the image with these soft strokes. You know, like things emerging slowly from a haze. It feels like a dream, doesn't it? The colors are muted, the blues and purples bleeding into each other. Look at the texture—it’s almost like it’s been scrubbed onto the surface, creating this feeling of distance. There’s a chunk of darkness there in the lower left corner. Is it a boulder? A building? It grounds the whole thing, gives it weight, and sets the stage for the rest of the scene to unfold. Roerich made lots of paintings of mountains, spiritual places. You can see echoes of Symbolism here, with its emphasis on mood and atmosphere. But really, it reminds me of Marsden Hartley, with his rugged landscapes and his interest in the spiritual. Both painters, in their own way, searching for something beyond the visible world.