Bell Mountain 1932

Nicholas Roerich made this watercolour painting "Bell Mountain", location unknown, and with no date. The palette is what gets me - muted blues, purples, and greens that give the mountain range a kind of mystical, dreamlike feel. You can almost feel the wetness of the watercolor seeping into the paper, creating these soft, blurry edges. There’s a real sense of atmosphere, like you're breathing in the crisp mountain air. Look at the way Roerich layers the washes of color, especially in the foreground hills. The paint isn't overworked or fussy. It’s like he's letting the medium do its thing, embracing the fluidity and transparency of the watercolor. Roerich reminds me of Hilma af Klint, in that both artists were interested in spiritualism and theosophy. They were both trying to capture something beyond the visible world. Art doesn’t always have to spell things out for us; sometimes, it's more about the feeling, the mood, the sense of wonder.