The artwork titled “Idols” by Nicholas Roerich was created in 1943 and is a fine representation of the Symbolist art movement. As a landscape genre painting, it embodies the spiritual and mystical characteristics that Symbolism is known for, inviting viewers to consider the transcendental elements of the depicted scene.
In “Idols,” Roerich presents a panoramic view that appears to capture the vastness of a serene, untouched landscape. The foreground features a hilly terrain that slopes gently downwards from right to left, culminating in a ridge adorned with a collection of richly decorated and colorful structures that resemble stupa-like forms or possibly cairns. These figurative elements bear a spiritual or ritual significance, implied by the title ‘Idols,’ and suggest a place of reverence or commemoration within the natural expanse.
A clear sense of depth is created by the layering of different shades of blue and green, meticulously conveying the rolling hills and distant mountains, blending harmoniously into the painting’s background. The sky is rendered with smooth gradients of blue, fading into a lighter tone near the horizon, which amplifies the artwork’s peaceful and ethereal atmosphere.
Overall, Roerich’s “Idols” encapsulates a mystical landscape that invokes contemplation and mystique, hallmarks of Symbolist art that seek to express the ineffable aspects of the human experience and our interaction with the natural world.
