“Saint Nicholas,” crafted by Nicholas Roerich in 1914, is an evocative religious painting created using gouache, paper, and tempera. This work, measuring 54 by 67 centimeters, falls within the Symbolism movement and resides in a private collection. The artwork portrays Saint Nicholas amidst an expansive, undulating landscape under a vast and dynamic sky.
In the artwork, Saint Nicholas stands prominently on a gentle hill, dressed in flowing, ornate ecclesiastical garments, with a radiant halo encircling his head, signifying his sanctity. The rolling terrain, rendered in shades of green and yellow, leads the eye toward the horizon where a serene, white-walled church can be observed. To the right of Saint Nicholas, three angels garbed in reverent attire seem to engage in a divine interaction, adding a spiritual dimension to the scene. The vivid, ethereal sky, painted in hues of blue, purple, and gray, imparts a contemplative and otherworldly atmosphere, reflecting the Symbolist ethos of exploring transcendent themes and the divine presence within the natural world.
