Ledenets Palace 1919

Nicholas Roerich made this painting, Ledenets Palace, with oils on canvas. It’s kind of amazing how this palace interior shimmers into being with such simple shapes and colors. I love the red arch that frames the whole scene like you're looking through a window. The yellow and blue tones of the architectural details remind me of Fauvist painters like Derain. I wonder, what was Roerich thinking as he laid down these strokes? Did he feel like he was conjuring up a mystical place from a fairytale? Look how the yellow of the walls turns into a kind of mystical light in the sky outside. And that tiny figure kneeling at the bottom – it looks like a character from a play or a dream. It’s like the palace is both a real place and a stage set. The looseness of the brushstrokes remind me of late Turner, as if the whole scene is dissolving into light and color. It's like Roerich is inviting us to step into his imagination and piece the story together for ourselves.