The artwork titled “She Who Holds the World,” created by Nicholas Roerich in 1937, is a symbolic painting executed within the art movement of Symbolism. Measuring 79 x 47 cm, the artwork belongs to a private collection and evokes deep symbolic themes.
The artwork depicts a solitary, regal figure standing against a backdrop of vast, snow-covered mountains. Adorned in a flowing robe and a crown, the figure exudes an aura of authority and mysticism. The composition is dominated by a serene yet immense natural landscape, with sharp contrasts between the figure’s dark attire and the soft hues of the mountains and sky. The remote and powerful setting might symbolize the enormity and solemnity of the responsibilities borne by the figure. The clear, expansive sky and the tranquil yet imposing mountains serve as a metaphor for the vast, often unfathomable world over which the figure presides, encapsulating the essence of Symbolism that seeks to convey the ineffable through evocative imagery.
