Stones and rocks 1919

Nicholas Roerich made this painting called "Stones and Rocks," and what strikes me is the deep, dreamy blues and greens that build up this landscape. I can just imagine him, out there with his easel, wrestling with the wind and the light, trying to capture something essential about these stones. It’s like he’s not just painting what he sees but what he feels. Look at the way the brushstrokes build up the textures of the rocks—thick swipes of blue layered upon each other, creating depth and shadow. It’s so physical, you know? You can almost feel the weight of the rocks, the coolness of the shadows. There's a kind of raw energy in those strokes, a sense of the artist's hand moving quickly, decisively. And think about the history of landscape painting, how artists have always been drawn to the sublime power of nature. Roerich is part of that conversation, adding his own voice, his own vision, to the mix. For me, painting is about embracing that ambiguity, allowing for different interpretations and possibilities.