Troki. Sketch of Troki Monastery 1903

Nicholas Roerich made this sketch of the Troki Monastery using oil on canvas. I imagine him standing there, maybe the sun’s in his eyes, squinting a bit. He's slathering on the paint, not too worried about details. There’s this great push and pull between the inside and outside—the dark, earthy tones of the monastery walls against the bright, almost blinding light pouring in through the opening. It's like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment, a memory of a place. Roerich was really into spiritual and mystical stuff, and you can see it here. The monastery isn't just a building; it's a vessel for something bigger. Think about other artists who've chased that feeling, like Hilma af Klint, or even Agnes Martin. They're all part of this big conversation, trying to figure out what it means to be human, to connect with something beyond ourselves. It’s like a beautiful, never-ending game of telephone.