The artwork, titled “Sanctuaries and Citadels,” was created by the artist Nicholas Roerich in 1925. It is part of the “Sanctuaries and Citadels” series and is currently housed in the Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York City, NY, US. The piece, rendered on canvas using tempera, is representative of the Symbolism art movement and falls within the landscape genre.
This striking landscape illustrates a vast and rugged mountainous terrain, dominated by earthy tones of browns and ochres. The composition captures the essence of the natural sanctuaries and citadels, with abstract, geometric formations suggesting fortified structures nestled within the barren, undulating landscape. The distant mountains blend into the horizon, creating a sense of depth and mysticism, characteristic of Roerich’s symbolic style. The use of tempera on canvas enhances the texture and depth of the terrain, evoking a sense of timelessness and the spiritual connection between the natural and the constructed.
