Fight with the dragon 1912

Nicholas Roerich made “Fight with the Dragon” using tempera on canvas, and, oh boy, it's a doozy! Imagine him at work, maybe in his studio in Russia. Was he thinking about some old folktale, or some personal demon? The colors are really intense, that deep blue background with the pops of red in the dragon and the birds. He's going for something otherworldly. The paint looks thin, almost like he's layering washes to build up this tapestry of creatures and symbols. Look at the way he's rendered the dragon, all coiled and fiery, like a nightmare come to life. It makes me wonder, what kind of dragons have haunted my dreams? Roerich's work has this quality, where it's like he's inviting you into his dreamscape. Painting, for him, and for all of us, is like that – a conversation, an exchange, a way of grappling with the beautiful, scary, strange world inside our heads.