Seagull 1901

Nicholas Roerich made this lithograph, Seagull, with shades of grey. I imagine Roerich wanting to capture the essence of the seagull in flight, but there's a sort of stillness in the work. I see the dense strokes forming the bird's wing – a bold, expressive gesture. The contrast between the dark wing and the lighter body creates a sense of movement, like the bird is caught mid-air. I can imagine Roerich feeling the cool breeze and the salty air as he worked, trying to convey the freedom and wildness of the bird. I’m sure he knew the work of other artists and their interpretations of the natural world. He was in dialogue with them as he worked on this lithograph. The beauty of art lies in its ambiguity and the conversations it starts, rippling outwards.