Monhegan (study) 1922

Nicholas Roerich made this study of Monhegan island, with pencil on paper. I bet it was a windy day! I can imagine him standing at the edge of the rocks, squinting, trying to capture the rough outline of the landscape. Look at those sketchy marks! They remind me of Cy Twombly's drawings, but with a touch of Nordic melancholy. The composition is so simple – just a few horizontal lines suggesting the sea and the sky, and then these angular rocks in the foreground, that are almost geometric. There’s a real sense of space here; you can feel the distance between the artist and the horizon. He's written little notes on the rocks, maybe reminders of the colors or textures he wanted to remember later, like a painter's aide-memoire. It's all about trying to pin down the fleeting impressions of a place. These sketches, these little records of the world, allow us to see and think and experience the world through his eyes. I love seeing artists in conversation like that, inspiring one another across time.