Shadows 1916

Nicholas Roerich made "Shadows," a painting where it seems that layers of red and blue have been applied, then wiped away, revealing the textured surface underneath. It's like he's building up an image, then pulling it apart again. The paint application is thin, creating a sense of depth and luminosity, but the marks are laid down in an open and direct manner. See how he suggests figures in the foreground, almost like ghostly apparitions emerging from the darkness? The forms are ambiguous, but there is a sense of movement, of figures caught in some ritual or procession. Roerich’s interest in symbolism reminds me of Odilon Redon, with a focus on the spiritual and mystical. Like Redon, Roerich embraces the power of suggestion over explicit representation, inviting the viewer to engage in a process of interpretation and discovery. It's a beautiful example of art's endless capacity for reinvention and reinterpretation.