 Nicholas Roerich, (October 9, 1874 - December 13, 1947) also known as Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh (alternative transliteration) (Russian: ??????? ?????????????? ?????), was a Russian painter, philosopher, scientist, writer, traveler, and public figure. He created about 7,000 paintings (many of them are exhibited in well-known museums of the world) and about 30 literary works. Roerich was an author and initiator of an international pact for the protection of artistic and academic institutions and historical sites (Roerich’s Pact) and a founder of an international movement for the defence of culture. Roerich earned several nominations for the Nobel Prize.
Biography
Early life
Roerich in translation from ancient Scandinavian means “rich of fame” (Rö Rich). Members of Roerich’s family occupied prominent military and administrative posts in Russia since the Peter I times . Nicholas Roerich’s father Konstantin Fedorovich was well-known notary who was born in Courland. N. Roerich’s mother Maria Vasil’evna Kalashnikova was descended from merchant family. Among friends of the Roerich’s family were such famous personalities as D. Mendeleyev, N. Kostomarov, M. Mikeshin, L. Ivanovsky et al.
From the childhood Nicholas Roerich was attracted by painting, archaeology, history and abundant cultural heritage of the East.
Guests from Overseas, 1901 (Varangians in Russia)After finishing the Karl May Gymnasium in 1893, Nicholas Roerich simultaneously entered the Saint-Petersburg University Faculty of Law (he graduated from it in 1898) and the Emperor’s Academy of Arts. From 1895, he studied in the studio of famous Arkhip Kuindgi. At that time, he closely communicated with well-known in those days workers of culture – V. Stassov, I. Repin, N. Rimsky-Korsakov, D. Grigorovich, S. Diaghilev. At the student years Roerich already became a member of Russian archeological society. Ye had conducted numerous excavations in St. Petersburg, Pskov, Novgorod, Tver, Yaroslavl and Smolensk provinces. From 1904, together with prince Putyatin, he recovered several Neolithic sites at Valdai (near Pyros lake). Roerich’s Neolithic findings excited real sensation in Russia and West Europe.
In 1897, Roerich graduated Petersburg Academy of Arts. His graduation painting “The messenger” was purchased by famous collector of Russian art P.M. Tretyakov. V.V.Stassov, well-known critic of that time, highly appreciated this painting: “You certainly must visit Tolstoy … let the great writer of Russian land himself promoted you in painters” . Meeting with L. Tolstoy determined the way of young Roerich. Leo Tolstoy said him: “Have you an occasion to pass the fast river on boat? It is necessary always to drive upstream of that place where you need or river carries away you. Then in the field of moral requirements one must to drive always higher so the life all the same carries away. Let your messenger keeps the rudder very high then he sailed!”
«The messenger (Tribe has risen against tribe)». 1897Words of St. John of Kronstadt who often visited the house of Roerich’s family also became spiritual wishes for N. Roerich: “Don’t be ailing! You will work much for the Motherland”
Roerich worked much in genre of historical painting. In early period he created the following canvases: “Elders coming together” (1898), “Lamentations of Yaroslav’s daughter” (1893), “Beginning of the Russia. The Slavs” (1896), “Idols” (1901), “Building of boats” et al. N. Roerich’s original talent and pioneer search in the art were manifested in these paintings. “Distinctive Roerich’s style became already clear in the earliest paintings. It consists in Roerich’s broad approach to composition, clarity of lines, laconism, color purity, musicality, great simplicity of expression and truthfulness. His paintings were built on deep knowledge of historical material; they reproduce the feeling of spirit of the times and were rich for philosophical content.
At the age of 24, Nicholas Roerich became an assistant of Director of the Emperor’s Art Encouragement Society Museum and, at the same time, editor assistant of the art magazine “Isskustvo i khudozhestvennaya promishlennost” (“The Art and Art Industry”). Three years later he occupied a position of secretary of Emperor’s Art Encouragement Society.
In 1899, he met Helena Ivanovna Shaposhnikova. On October, 1901 their wedding took place. Helena Ivanovna became true partner in life and inspirer for Nicholas Roerich. They would pass hand in hand throughout their whole lives, supplementing each other creatively and spiritually. In 1902, their son George was born, future scientist-orientalist, and in 1904 – Svetoslav, future painter and public figure.
In 1903 – 1904, N. Roerich together with his wife made a trip around old cities of Russia. They visited more than 40 cities famous for their ancient monuments. The aim of this “trip over the ancient times” was study of the roots of the Russian culture. The trip result was not only a large series of the artist’s paintings (near 90 sketches), but also N. Roerich’s articles, in which he was one of the first to raise the issue of a great artistic value of old Russian icon painting and architecture.
«The Vernicle and Saint Princes». The mosaic for Roerich’s sketches. The Trinity church. The Pochaev lavra, Ternopol region, Ukraine.N. Roerich as painter worked in the field of easel, monumental painting (frescoes, mosaics) and also theatrical-decorative one. In 1906, he created 12 sketches for the church in Golubev’s estate Parkhomovka near Kiev, sketches for Pochaev lavra mosaic (1910), 4 sketches for wall paintings of a chapel in Pskov (1913), 12 pictures for Livshiz’s villa in Nice (1914). In 1914, he designed a Holy Spirit church in Talashkino (composition “Heavenly Queen” et al.).
Nicholas Roerich’s multi-faceted talent brightly showed itself in his works for theatre productions: “Snow Maiden”, “Per Gynt”, “Princess Malen”, “Valkyrie” and others. During Sergey Diaghilev’s famous “Russian Seasons”, N. Roerich did the designs for “Polovets Dances” from Borodin’s “Prince Igor”, “Pskovityanka” by Rimsky-Korsakov, and the ballet “Sacred Spring”, better known as Rite of Spring, to Stravinsky’s music.
Epoch of Silver Age where N. Roerich began his creative development was the epoch of spiritual rise and that undoubtedly affects on formation of artist’s person. Galaxy of outstanding thinkers such as V.S. Solovyev, E.N. Trubetskoi, V.V. Rozanov, P.A. Florensky, S.N.Bulgakov, N.A. Berdyayev et al brought in Russian culture a deep philosophical thought and saturated it with intensive search of purport of life and morale ideals. East culture was of special interest for Russian intellectuals. In search of universal values N. Roerich besides of Russian philosophy studied also Eastern philosophy, works of outstanding Indian thinkers Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, works of R. Tagore.
Acquaintance with the Oriental philosophic thought got reflection in N. Roerich’s creative work. While the core subjects of the artist’s earlier paintings were ancient pagan Russia, colorful images of the folk epos (“They Build a City”, “Ominous”, “Guests from overseas”, etc.), starting already from the middle of the 1905, many of his canvases and literary pieces were devoted to India (“Lakshmi”, “Indian path”, “Krishna”, Indian dreams” etc.). Roerich as painter and scientist was interested in ancient cultures of Russia and India and their common origin. A correlation between temporal categories of past, present and future was of great importance for his historical concept. Roerich measured the past and the present by the future: “… when we call for study of the past, then will do it only for the sake of future”. “Let’s put the steps of future from ancient wonderful stones”.
From 1906 to 1918, N. Roerich was a Director of the School of Emperor’s Art Encouragement Society and at the same time he was busy with teaching. From this time the artist was a permanent participant of foreign exhibitions. Paris, Venice, Berlin, Roma, Brussels, Vienna saw his paintings. They were purchased by Roman National Museum, Louvre and other European museums.
From 1906, in Roerich’s creativity begun new more mature period. N. Roerich changed an approach to historical theme. History, mythology, folklore were turned into sources, from which the artist got the material for metaphoric graphic language. Realism and symbolism were combined in his art. In this period, N. Roerich intensified a search in the field of color. He almost abandoned the oil and passed to temper method. He experimented many with paints composition, used a method of superposition of one color on another. Originality of Roerich’s art was mentioned by artistic critique. From 1907 to 1918, nine monographs and several tens of artistic magazines devoted to N. Roerich’s art were published in Russia and Europe. Leonid Andreyev figuratively named a world, created by the artist, as “Roerich’s Empire”.
In 1909, N. Roerich was elected as Academician of Russian Academy of Arts and a member of Rheims Academy in France.
From 1910, he became the head of artistic association “World of Art”, in which were A. Benois, L. Bakst, I. Grabar, V. Serov, K. Petrov-Vodkin, B. Kustodiev, A. Ostroumova-Lebedeva, Z. Serebryakova et al.
«The last Angel». 1912“Greatest intuitionist of the century”, according to expression of A.M. Gorky, N. Roerich expressed his forebodings on the eve of the First World War in symbolic images: “Fairest City is the enemies’ vexation”, “The Last Angel”, “Glow”, “Human works” et al. These paintings demonstrate both a theme of struggle between two sides – Light and Darkness, which runs through the whole Roerich’s art, and human’s responsibility for its own destiny and the whole of world. N. Roerich not only created the paintings of anti-war orientation, but also written the articles devoted to protection of peace and culture.
In 1915, N. Roerich made a report to Emperor Nikolai II and Grand Prince Nikolai Nikolayevich (Younger) containing a call to take serious measures for national protection of cultural treasures. In 1916, because of serious illness of lungs, following the doctor’s insistence N. Roerich together with his family moved to the Finland (Serdobol), on the shore of Lake Ladoga. Proximity to St. Petersburg allowed him to take part in the work of School of Emperor’s Art Encouragement Society.
On March 4, 1917, after a month of the February revolution, M. Gorky called in his apartment a group of painters, writers and actors, including N. Roerich, A. Benois, Bilibin, Dobuzhinskii, Petrov-Vodkin, Schuko, Shalyapin. On the meeting they elected a Committee for arts affairs. M. Gorky was elected as a head of this Committee and A. Benois and N. Roerich were elected as assistants of the head. The Committee examined the questions of art development in Russia and protection of old relics and monuments.
|