The artwork titled “Hidden Treasure” is a creation by Nicholas Roerich, crafted in 1917 using tempera on canvas. It exemplifies the Symbolism art movement and falls within the landscape genre. This piece forms part of the “Heroica” series and is presently housed at the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York City, New York, United States.
The artwork depicts a striking landscape scene characterized by an array of fiery red and orange hues, imbuing the composition with a vigorous and mystical energy. The painting represents a panoramic view of formidable mountain ranges that seem to radiate an inner light. This luminescence is further reflected in the body of water that gently meanders through the mountainous terrain, suggesting a sense of hidden depths and secrets. Against this backdrop of illuminated rocks and cliffs, the sky takes on a softer tone, with pink and red tinges that complement the overall warmth of the color palette.
The use of tempera lends a particular texture and depth to the painting, with the medium enabling Roerich to achieve fine details and a matte finish, both hallmarks of his stylistic preference. The Symbolist movement, to which this artwork belongs, is known for its attempt to depict the ethereal and the spiritual, often prioritizing personal and mystical interpretations of reality over the representation of the material world. In “Hidden Treasure,” Roerich channels this ethos through his depiction of a landscape that seems suffused with an otherworldly significance, inviting the viewer to delve into the symbolic meaning embedded within the folds of the earth and water depicted.
