Dear Friends and visitors,

Here is another trio of great works by Nicholas Roerich. I have chosen them for their great plasticity. The second one has such an ethereal beauty that I consider insuperable. The third one is most simple in appearance but I don't know if you perceive in it, as in many other of Nicholas Roerich's paintings, something that only now can I put in words. It is this: The places depicted in them seem to be tellling about things that they have been able to witness over the millennia, perhaps bloody episodes but also the passing of great saints, terrible nocturnal storms and beautiful dawnings after them, everything. What will the gates in the first painting not have witnessed in the past! I am not sure if there are many artists who are capable of such a power of expression through their works, to say it somehow. If I had to point at some particular area of a painting that can express such things by means of the brush of an artist I would signal the skies, for example that of the third one. It is as if it was the result of what it has been through over the previous night or over the previous few nights and days, maybe weeks, and it only needed a great painter's superb ability and identification with that particular spot to finally express itself to the viewer. To me (if this is not just my imagination), at least in many impressive cases, Nicholas Roerich was able to capture in a moment's time the entire history of a place.

But I will better stop these lucubrations here, lest the magic of these paintings be lost.

Nicholas Roerich - Gates in Trakai (1903-1904, oil on wood)

Nicholas Roerich - Genizar Lake (1935-1936, tempera on canvas)

Nicholas Roerich - Gompa (1932, tempera on canvas on cardboard)

Hugs,

Luis Miguel Goitizolo

Luis,

I understand just what you are saying here.

I think that this is the difference between the artist who wishes to portray just a scene as is apparent to any onlooker and the artist who wishes to make a statement about theplace and it's spiritual importance.

As we move towards better understanding of time and its levels of complication we can start to understand more why places or objects hold a special importance.

These are wonderful examples of Roerich's work and I'm sure everyone who sees them will feel their special atmosphere.

Here's a photo of Trakai Island Castle. Much restored but so beautiful.

Roger

Luis,

I am so aware that the very discussion of a subject can lead to a disjointed and confused forum.

When somebody brings us such great treasures as these it is fascinating to compare with other artists or to follow the lives of their artistic influences.

In order to have a discussion based upon comments and comparisons where the comments don't always fit within a forum subject I have started a forum for just that purpose.

My aim is to offer a supportive forum in order to keep your wonderful forums within their subject areas.

Take a look, but always return here for Luis latest discoveries.

My new forum is here.

I completely understand.

I hope you understand why I did this forum.

I hate it when forums get taken too far off track. I thought that one GENERAL forum where we could throw up some pictures and compare or critisize without disruption.

Roger