Mount "M" 1931

Here's a painting by Nicholas Roerich, titled Mount "M," and it looks like it's been made with tempera, maybe with some watercolor mixed in, which gives it this cool, matte surface. I can imagine Roerich out there, squinting at these monumental peaks, trying to capture not just their shape, but their essence. The blue and purple hues, layered one over the other, create a sense of depth and distance. You can almost feel the chill in the air, the thinness of the atmosphere. Look at the way he's rendered the snow-capped peaks with these pink accents; they're almost glowing. I find myself wondering if he was thinking about something bigger than just the mountains themselves. Roerich was super interested in spirituality and mysticism, and you can feel that here. It's like the mountain isn't just a mountain, but a symbol, a place of meditation and contemplation. It makes me want to grab my brushes and get to work.