Jeanne d'Arc 1931

Nicholas Roerich made this large painting, *Jeanne d’Arc,* location and date unknown, with oil on canvas in a triptych format. Roerich's artmaking feels like a process of building worlds, layering myths, and histories in a single frame. The materiality here is fascinating – the smooth surface belies the depth of the narrative. The central panel with the Madonna and Child feels like stained glass, so flat and iconic. Then, on either side, those armies massing towards fairy-tale castles! Look at the way Roerich renders the figures, almost like paper cut-outs against the horizon. Notice how the artist uses bold outlines and simplified forms? It’s as if he’s creating a stage set for a medieval drama. The overall effect is enchanting, inviting us to lose ourselves in the story. Roerich was known for his spiritual themes, and you can see echoes of that in the stylized figures here. Think about Gustav Klimt, who used decorative patterns to infuse his paintings with a sense of otherworldly beauty. Ultimately, this painting is about Roerichs unique way of inviting us into his imaginative world.