Teacher's order 1947

Nicholas Roerich’s painting, *Teacher’s Order*, presents us with mountains rendered in tempera, a fast-drying, matte paint traditionally made with egg yolk. Roerich was deeply interested in the spiritual traditions of Asia, and his choice of tempera reflects this. Before the rise of oil painting, tempera was the medium *par excellence* for icons. Notice how the tempera gives the mountains a crystalline quality. The paint allows for sharp, well-defined forms, suiting the stark peaks. Roerich applied it in thin, even layers; the effect is not so much illusionistic as it is symbolic. The artist made this painting during a time of enormous upheaval in Russia, including the Bolshevik Revolution and subsequent Civil War. Roerich sought spiritual values that transcended these conflicts. Tempera, with its connection to enduring traditions, was the ideal medium for conveying this message. When you look at a painting like this, remember that the material and the making are inseparable from its deeper meaning.