The artwork, titled “The Great Sacrifice,” was created by Nicholas Roerich in 1912. It belongs to the Art Nouveau (Modern) movement and falls under the genre of design.
In “The Great Sacrifice,” Nicholas Roerich employs a serene yet poignant visual language. The composition features a group of seven figures seated upon a grassy knoll, surrounded by an expansive sky filled with voluminous clouds rendered in soft pastel hues. The figures are depicted in contemplative postures, suggesting an air of solemnity and introspection. The rounded, almost ethereal, forms of the clouds juxtaposed with the sturdy presence of the human figures create a harmonious yet dramatic scene. Roerich’s use of gentle, natural colors and fluid lines exemplifies the Art Nouveau aesthetic, evoking a sense of timeless mysticism and serenity.