Fairest City - the anger for enemies 1914

Nicholas Roerich made this fairytale painting of a besieged city, "Fairest City - the anger for enemies", using tempera on canvas. The way Roerich lays down the tempera in these small, almost mosaic-like strokes, gives the whole painting a kind of shimmery, unstable quality. And that red! It vibrates with energy, doesn't it? Look at how the flames lick up the walls, almost like a curtain of fire. It's both terrifying and kind of beautiful, in a strange way. The paint is opaque, built up in layers, creating a rough, almost textured surface. The white city shimmers above the flames, like a beacon or a dream. It reminds me a little of some medieval altarpieces, or maybe even some of the visionary paintings of Hilma af Klint. It’s a reminder that art is this ongoing conversation, where we're constantly borrowing, stealing, and riffing off each other's ideas. There is something about this piece that feels very internal, as if the city is a projection of an inner state, rather than a real place. Ultimately, maybe the point isn't to understand it all, but to just let it wash over you.