Hommage to Saint John the Baptist 1912

Nicholas Roerich made this "Homage to Saint John the Baptist" with paint on board; it's a small window into something vast. There's an energy in how he lays down these colours, like he’s building the world right in front of us. The blues are deep, almost swallowing the light, and then these erupting, flame-like reds and oranges just sear through. Look at the way the paint's applied, not too fussy, kind of direct. It’s like Roerich wanted to capture a feeling, or a memory of a place, rather than a perfect picture. See how the peaks of the mountains are built up with these quick strokes? Each one feels like a decision, a small act of creation. You get the sense of the artist making the thing, like a landscape being forged, and each mark feels purposeful. Roerich reminds me of Marsden Hartley. They both had this thing for landscapes that felt more like inner states, places of the mind and soul. Art's just this endless conversation, isn't it?