The artwork titled “She who leads,” created by Nicholas Roerich in 1943, is a symbolic painting rendered in tempera on canvas. Measuring 89.2 x 116.6 cm, it belongs to the Symbolism art movement and is part of the “His country” series. The piece is currently located in the Roerich Museum in Moscow, Russia.
The artwork features a mesmerizing landscape of elevated, snow-capped mountains in hues of pink and white, set against a serene, cloud-filled sky. In the foreground, a figure clad in white, possibly a guide or a spiritual being, leads another individual upwards. The figures are positioned on rugged, rocky terrain, suggesting a journey or ascent, both literal and metaphorical. The use of soft, pastel colors and the stylized depiction of the mountains give the piece an ethereal quality, resonant of Roerich’s signature style and his engagement with themes of spirituality and mysticism.
