Chiktan citadel in Himalayas 1932

Nicholas Roerich made this evocative painting of the Chiktan citadel using thin paint in blocks of blues and oranges. I imagine him outdoors, maybe squinting to see past the glare, thinking about how to represent the solid forms and bright light. It’s interesting how Roerich has simplified the forms to emphasize the monumental geometry of the buildings. The overall composition and brushstrokes create a sense of stillness and timelessness. He’s using the language of painting to evoke a feeling of awe and reverence for this ancient place. This recalls some of the simplified landscape paintings of early modernist painters, who were also trying to capture the essence of a place through color and form. In some ways, making art is just having a long conversation with other artists—we’re all working through similar issues and ideas, even across time.