People 1914

Nicholas Roerich made this painting of People using thin washes of paint, maybe gouache or tempera – look at the way the colours glow! I can imagine Roerich carefully layering these pigments, letting each shade peek through the next, kind of like how memories layer up over time. Notice the figures lined up in a row wearing simple robes and cone-shaped hats. A band of orange unifies the composition, but look closer, and you will see a complex web of blues and reds, especially in the figures to the left. Roerich uses these thin washes to suggest the textures of the fabrics. Artists are always in conversation, and I am reminded of the blocky figures of Léger, or the compressed scenes of Beckmann. What I love is that Roerich is not trying to trick us into thinking this is reality. There is a childlike naivety to the presentation that is pure, and I would bet that Roerich was not afraid to make mistakes! It’s a painting that knows it is a painting, embracing a rich exchange of ideas about colour, form, and feeling.