The artwork, titled “Kuan Yin,” was created by Nicholas Roerich in 1933. It belongs to the Symbolism art movement and is categorized as a religious painting.
In “Kuan Yin,” Roerich masterfully depicts the bodhisattva Kuan Yin, who is often associated with compassion and mercy within East Asian religious traditions. The focal point of the artwork is Kuan Yin, dressed in delicate pink robes, who is seated in the foreground in a contemplative pose. Behind her, an imposing and dramatic landscape of sharp, jagged, blue-toned mountains contrasts with the serene presence of Kuan Yin. The mountainous backdrop, with its icy peaks and expansive horizon, evokes a sense of spiritual transcendence and mythical essence, which is characteristic of Roerich’s symbolism. The use of soft, pastel colors for Kuan Yin juxtaposed against the cooler, more imposing hues of the mountains, emphasizes her serene divinity amidst the grandeur and vastness of nature.
