The Himalayas # 166 The river winding between the mountains Roerich N.K. (Part 4)

Here we observe a landscape dominated by monumental forms and a restricted palette. The composition is structured around a winding river that snakes its way through a deep valley, flanked on either side by imposing mountain ranges. These mountains are not rendered with naturalistic detail; instead, they appear as simplified geometric masses, constructed from planes of color.
The artist employed a limited range of hues – primarily blues, greens, yellows, and muted purples – to create a sense of atmospheric distance and an overall feeling of coolness. The foreground is characterized by warmer tones, particularly in the rivers banks and lower slopes, which gradually transition to cooler shades as the eye moves towards the background peaks. This color gradation contributes to the illusion of depth, though it’s achieved through abstraction rather than precise perspective.
The absence of any human presence or signs of civilization reinforces a sense of vastness and isolation. The river itself appears almost like an incision in the landscape, emphasizing the power and scale of the surrounding mountains. There is a deliberate flattening of space; while depth is suggested, it’s not conveyed through traditional techniques of linear perspective. Instead, the overlapping planes create a layered effect that evokes a sense of compressed distance.
The paintings subtexts likely revolve around themes of natures grandeur and humanitys insignificance in comparison. The simplified forms and restricted palette suggest an attempt to capture the essence or spirit of the landscape rather than its literal appearance. It’s possible the artist sought to convey not just a visual representation, but also a feeling – perhaps one of awe, solitude, or even a sense of sublime terror evoked by the sheer scale of the natural world. The deliberate abstraction could be interpreted as an effort to move beyond mere imitation and towards a more conceptual understanding of landscape.