Trans-Himalayas near Saga 1927

Nicholas Roerich laid down these hazy blues and whites in a painting of the Trans-Himalayas near Saga. You can almost feel the crisp, thin air, can’t you? Look how Roerich has built up these layers of misty mountains, each ridge softer and paler as it recedes into the distance. I imagine him standing there, squinting, trying to capture that sense of infinite space, simplifying everything down to these cool tones. He must have worked quickly, alla prima, trying to grab the light before it shifted. A limited palette gives a sense of harmony to the canvas, and an ethereal almost dreamlike quality. It makes me think of other artists who were reaching for something beyond the visible world, like Hilma af Klint or Agnes Pelton, each in their own way exploring spiritual dimensions through painting. Painting is like a conversation across time, isn't it? Each artist picking up the thread from the ones before, transforming it into something new and personal.