Kangchenjunga 1936

Nicholas Roerich painted these snow-capped peaks, probably en plein air, using a limited palette of pinks, blues, and whites. I can imagine him, perched on a mountainside, battling the elements to capture the ethereal beauty of the Himalayas. There’s something so simple, almost childlike, about the way he’s rendered this epic landscape. The paint looks thinly applied, in flat planes, like paper cut-outs layered one on top of another. Look how the peaks are outlined with such clarity! I see a kind of visual shorthand at play, reducing these imposing forms to their barest essence. And that crimson sky! It's like a dream, heightening the sense of drama and wonder. It makes me think about Marsden Hartley and his mountain paintings, or maybe even some of the early modernist landscapes. Artists, you know, are always looking at each other, borrowing ideas, and pushing boundaries.