Young men 1944

Nicholas Roerich gave us "Young Men," and what strikes me is its dreamy quality, like a half-remembered folk tale. The colors feel muted, chalky almost, which lends the painting a timeless quality. Looking closely, the paint application is really interesting. See how the landscape is rendered with these broad, almost careless strokes, while the figures have sharper outlines? It's as if the figures are caught in a moment, while the landscape around them is more fluid. The archer, with his bow drawn, has this incredible tension, but it's also soft, like a memory. Roerich reminds me of Marsden Hartley, in the way that both artists had a deep interest in mysticism. It is a really powerful suggestion of how art can be a vessel for the unseen. "Young Men" feels like a question, a whispered story, rather than a declarative statement.