Study of scene decoration for "The Rite of Spring" 1944

This is Nicholas Roerich's Study of a scene decoration for "The Rite of Spring". It's difficult to say when he made it or with exactly what, but looking at the image, I'm struck by the way the forms seem both solid and ephemeral. Imagine Roerich conjuring this landscape from memory or imagination. How the colors might have shifted and changed as he worked, the blue of the sky bleeding into the green of the hills. The marks are laid down with a sense of purpose, yet there's also an openness, an invitation for the viewer to complete the picture. The paint isn't thick, but there's a texture to it, a kind of gentle roughness that speaks to the landscape's rugged beauty. The overall effect is dreamy, evocative, and kind of theatrical – which it was meant to be. I can see echoes of Gauguin and Matisse in Roerich’s use of color. In turn, he anticipates the work of later painters drawn to spiritual and mystical subjects. Ultimately, this piece is part of an ongoing conversation among artists across time, each inspiring and influencing the other in ways we can only begin to understand.