Strongholds of Tibet (study) 1932

Nicholas Roerich made this study, Strongholds of Tibet, with tempera and crayon on paper. It's a small study, just 10 by 18.5 cm, but it feels vast! There’s something about the crayon markings and the thin washes of the tempera paint that are very satisfying. Roerich’s artmaking feels like a process of building up layers, a bit like the architecture itself. The paint is thin, almost translucent, which gives it an airy quality, but then you see the crayon, and it’s like the earth, so solid. It makes me think of those tempera paintings by Agnes Martin, but with more earthy grit. Look at the line that defines the top of the mountain. It's so decisive, a single stroke that says so much. And the buildings, they're not just shapes; they feel lived-in, part of the landscape. Roerich’s color palette here is all about muted tones, ochres, and dusky pinks, which makes it both calming and quietly intense. It reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley’s stark landscapes. I think it's art as a conversation across time. It's not about fixed meanings but about embracing ambiguity.