Bogatyrs woke up 1940

Nicholas Roerich made “Bogatyrs woke up” without any firm date that we know of, layering blues and purples to conjure a mystical, cave-like setting. Imagine him there, trying to capture the moment these figures stir from their slumber. Those linear, sleeping forms – are they giants? Or just men with really long noses? – stretch out as if the paint itself is heavy, weighted down by the gravity of their deep sleep. Then this little crowd of upright figures in the background – a great contrast, which makes me think about what it is to be awake, what it is to be alert, or on guard. Roerich’s handling of paint here reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley's landscapes, there’s a similar stillness, a reverence for the land. But here, it’s like the land *is* the dream, and the dreamers are part of it. You know, painting isn't just about showing something; it's about feeling something, letting that feeling guide your hand. I wonder what Roerich felt, painting this? Maybe it was a sense of hope, that even after a long sleep, there's always a waking.