The painting by Nicholas Roerich "Ilya Muromets" and other masterpieces

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Nicholas Roerich is an amazing person. An artist and writer, philosopher and public figure, researcher and scientist, he stands at the origins of not only a whole religious and philosophical doctrine, but also special esoteric views on the world space and culture of the future. The concept of the "age of Aquarius" is also associated precisely with the brilliant personality of Roerich.

Mystic Artist

Painting is one of the main tools for understanding the world and reflecting this knowledge in material forms. Each painting by Nicholas Roerich is an original look into the past and the present, an attempt to comprehend the historical and ethical moments of being. The primordial Russian culture, the connections of the East and the Slavs - this is the sphere of the artist's interests. He devoted many years to the study of Ancient Russia, its traditions, originality and high spirituality. The poetry of antiquity is fanned by the painting by Nicholas Roerich “Messenger” (“Clan upon clan has risen”). It belongs to the cycle "Slavs and Varangians". In general, cyclicity is a characteristic feature of the artist's work.

Painting through history

He works inchosen direction, trying to penetrate the darkness of centuries, to see and understand what it was like - Russia, the original, immemorial, hiding in the darkness of past years. When creating canvases, the artist relies on factual material, since he is also an archaeologist who goes on expeditions to excavate and therefore is well acquainted with certain layers of ancient Russian culture. This is evidenced by the painting by Nicholas Roerich "Red Sails" and another one, relating to the pre-Christian period of the life of the Russian lands - "Idols". Both of them belong to the "Slavic" series. It was from her that the recognition of the artist by critics and fellows in the shop and the keen interest in his work of the audience began. Pagan, pre-Petrine Russia - mysterious, bright, colorful, attractive and sometimes frightening, military and creative, disturbing and peaceful, many-sided and infinitely loved - so different - appears before our eyes. Therefore, any picture of Nicholas Roerich from the "Slavic" cycle is a real epic about a great people with a great culture.

Rerikovsky "Bogatyr Frieze"

In the State Russian Museum of St. Petersburg there is a painting "Ilya Muromets" by Nicholas Roerich. It was created in 1910 and is part of the Bogatyr Frieze suite. This is a picturesque panel decorating the dining room in the famous Bazhenov House in St. Petersburg. Now the building houses the Chekhov Library. And the panels from the panels became the property of the museum. Russian folklore, in particular, were keenly interested in the artist, excited the imagination, served as a sourcecreative inspiration. The figures of the people's defenders-bogatyrs - Ilya Muromets and Mikula Selyaninovich seemed especially important to Roerich. They, the legendary Sadko and other heroes of folk epics were captured in the compositions of the "frieze". The nameless knight and Bayan, as if descended from the pages of "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", Volga and the Nightingale the Robber return the viewer to "the affairs of bygone days." The monumental work is the highest surge of Roerich's passion for ancient epics.

Image of Elijah

But let's get back to one of the main characters of the frieze - the mighty and glorious Ilya Muromets. As in folk epics, here he personifies the defender of his native land and people, his military prowess and primordial patriotism. That is why the hero is depicted in the closest connection with his land. Therefore, behind the figure of Elijah, rivers and lakes turn blue, wherever you look, hills and forests rise, white-stone cities with golden-domed churches are seen. As if being on patrol, the hero threw up his bow, pulled the bowstring and vigilantly peers into the surroundings. He will notice something suspicious - and his arrow will rush like a bird right into the enemy's heart. Ilya Muromets rises above all Russian borders, being an unshakable barrier on the way of everything that can bring pain and suffering to the Motherland.

Favorite story

Yes, every creative person has them - a favorite theme, a secret story - the closest and dearest, corresponding to the deepest movements of the heart and mind, the most subtle moods of the soul. Painting by Nicholas Roerich "Overseas guests" - brightan example of this. There are most of the details and motifs passing from canvas to canvas. These are the eternal wanderers-ships, and the traditional hilly landscape, and the living water element. And even the colorful coloring is also traditional: blue and green shades, soft, calm tones, so characteristic of the North Russian landscapes. The painting is located in Ufa, in the Bashkir State Museum. Nesterov. It is dedicated, according to the artist himself, to one of the most important moments of ancient Russian history - the arrival of Rurik in Russia in the 14th century, and belongs to one of the best creations of the brilliant artist.