Monhegan (study) 1922

Nicholas Roerich made this drawing, Monhegan (study), likely with graphite on paper at some point in his career. There is a raw, immediate feel to this drawing, Roerich wasn’t trying to make a perfect copy of the landscape. Instead, it's like he's trying to capture the energy of the place, the feeling of the rocks, the way the light hits them. It’s about the process of seeing and responding. Look at the way he uses line – so economical and direct. The shading on the rocks to the left is done with these quick, diagonal strokes, giving a sense of volume and weight. Then there's that vertical band on the right, almost like a separate study, where he’s exploring a different kind of mark-making, a more angular, broken line. It reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley’s landscapes of Maine, where he was also trying to capture the ruggedness of the coastline. With this piece, Roerich reminds us that art is really an ongoing conversation.