Nicholas Roerich was a Russian painter, set designer and philosopher. He was also trained as a lawyer and was an amateur archeologist.
Roerich’s work shows the influence of Russian and Nordic folk tales, iconography, his interest in eastern religion and his travels in India, Tibet and Mongolia.
Roerich was also known for his efforts to protect art from the ravages of war, notably his creation of the “Pax Cultura”, for which he was nominated several times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Roerich was prolific, creating over 7,000 works in oil, gouache and tempera, as well as a series of stage sets, some monumental, for the Ballets Russes.
The Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York is dedicated to his work, houses about 200 of his paintings. The museum has a collection of his works online.
