Himalayas 

Nicholas Roerich created this watercolor painting of the Himalayas. The Theosophical Society had a big influence on Roerich, and believed in the Himalayas as the origin of esoteric knowledge. He and his wife Helena travelled through that region, envisioning a utopian community with roots in Buddhist teachings and Russian spiritualism. The image creates meaning through the use of visual codes, such as the color blue, which is often associated with spirituality and divinity. Roerich's utopian vision was rooted in a critique of the social structures of his time, especially capitalism, which he saw as destructive. He sought to create an alternative society based on spiritual values and collective living, but these ideas are also rooted in the colonial gaze, the artist as a traveler with the power to take and interpret. To fully understand Roerich's work, we can examine publications of the Theosophical Society, and consider the institutional context in which his art was produced.