Boundary of sword (study) 1933

Nicholas Roerich made this painting, Boundary of Sword (study), with what looks like tempera or gouache, maybe, judging by the matte surface. I like how the layers create soft, chalky textures, and how the mountains are built up with these simple, almost childlike forms. It reminds me of making paintings when you're just starting out and you're not quite sure how to mix colors or create depth, so you just layer them on and hope for the best. The sword is a very gestural mark. It’s a direct and simple image, but at the same time there is something mysterious about the mountains. Roerich's palette is so unique, it reminds me of Milton Avery, how he used the same, limited range of color, to create something monumental. I like how the starkness of the landscape gives the painting a sense of the otherworldly, like it is set in some mythical, primordial past. Art can be more about a feeling than a precise depiction.