The artwork “Crowns,” created by Nicholas Roerich in 1914, is an oil painting on canvas. It belongs to the Art Nouveau (Modern) movement and is categorized as a battle painting. The piece measures 75 by 119 centimeters and is currently housed in the Museum of Russian Art (Tereshchenko Museum) in Kyiv, Ukraine.
In the composition of “Crowns,” three armored figures dominate the scene, seemingly engaged in a pivotal moment amidst a rugged landscape. The sky is vast and dynamic, filled with billowing clouds in shades of gold and peach, providing a dramatic backdrop to the figures rendered below. These figures, clad in armor and capes adorned with intricate patterns, convey a sense of nobility and valor characteristic of battle paintings. The rocky terrain underfoot and the distant, rolling hills bathed in blue hues contribute to the sense of depth and scale, making the scene both grand and intimate. Roerich’s meticulous use of color and composition captures the essence of heroism and the solemnity of the moment depicted.
