The artwork titled “The ruins of the buildings and rocky caves Anasazi culture. Canyon Tyuoni” by Nicholas Roerich, created in 1922, is a pencil-on-paper piece that falls under the Symbolism art movement. As a sketch and study, it measures 22.5 x 29.5 cm and is housed in the State Museum of Oriental Art in Moscow, Russia.
This intricate pencil sketch depicts the ruins and rocky caves characteristic of the Anasazi culture, situated in Canyon Tyuoni. The artwork is a study in textures and contours, capturing the rugged landscape and weathered remnants of buildings with a delicate yet sure hand. The symbolic connotations and historical references embedded in the piece reflect both the artist’s meticulous attention to detail and his broader thematic concerns with ancient civilizations and their enduring legacies. The visual composition, marked by its subtle shading and linear precision, invites the viewer into a contemplative exploration of past human settlements and their interaction with the natural environment.