Red horseman 1926

Here is a painting by Nicholas Roerich depicting a horseman in hues of brown, sepia and cream. What strikes me most about this work is the way the figures are rendered, almost like they are rising out of the canvas. Look at the horseman and his steed, floating in the sky like a dream or a vision. I imagine Roerich applying the paint in layers, letting each one dry before adding the next, building up the forms gradually. He probably used brushes of different sizes, from fine ones for the details to broader ones for the sky and landscape. I imagine the artist trying to capture a sense of movement and energy. The horse seems alive, prancing through the sky, and the rider holds a star aloft. I'm reminded that paintings are never just copies; they are records of human thought and feeling. Roerich had a passion for landscape painting, and this piece feels like a culmination of his interests. It is also so distinctly of its time and place, resonating with what many other artists were exploring. We are all in conversation with each other, learning, borrowing, and pushing the boundaries of what painting can be!