Viking's triumph 1910

Nicholas Roerich made this watercolor, Viking's Triumph, and it looks like he used charcoal too. Roerich was all about landscapes that feel kinda monumental, but he did so with a limited palette that feels almost washed out, like a memory. The way he built the hills with these tiny dots, like he was trying to capture not just the shape but the very texture of the earth, is interesting. Look at the foreground, the way the lines carve out those rocks, and the subtle touches of color bring the water to life. It's like he's mapping the terrain, but also feeling it. It reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley’s landscapes, both artists were trying to connect with something bigger than themselves through these stark, pared-down scenes. There’s a quietness to it, but also a sense of something enduring, like these stones have been here forever and will be long after we’re gone.