Lot 54: Svetoslav Nikolaevich Roerich (Russian, 1904-1993) Landscape with pine trees, Himalayas, c. 1924

Landscape with pine trees, Himalayas, c. 1924
signed with monogram (lower right)
charcoal on blue-prepared ground on canvas
50 x 73cm (19 11/16 x 28 3/4in).

PROVENANCE:
Roerich Museum, 1928-1935
Collection of Louis and Nettie Horch, New York
Acquired from above by the family of the present owner, c. 1970s
Thence by descent

Roerich completed the present work in 1924 during his first expedition to India. It depicts pine trees bent and battered by strong winds blowing from the high peaks of the Himalayan Mountains. The flattened tops of the trees outlined in thick charcoal create an interesting visual contrast to the softly rendered outline of the majestic mountains in the background - a device used by the artist to create spacious depth and compositional complexity.

The work is reminiscent of Tibetan landscape, 1924, drawn by the artist during the same trip and presently in the collection of the Nicholas Roerich Museum in New York. The latter drawing was exhibited at the Svetoslav Roerich exhibition organised by the International Center 'Corona Mundi' in New York in 1925. It is apparent that two of those drawings are variations on the same theme – the tree on the far right and the outline of the mountains in the foreground are practically identical in both works.

Landscape with pine trees, Himalayas is one of the earliest landscapes executed by Svetoslav Roerich in India, and as such will be of particular interest to international collectors of the artist's works.

?????? «?????? ? ????????» ??????? ??????????? ??????? ? 1924 ???? ?? ????? ?????????????? ?????????? ? ?????. ?? ??????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????, ????? ??? ??? ???????? ?????? ???. ??????? ? ????????? ????? ????????, ?????????? ???????? ?????, ????????? ? ????????? ? ???? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ??????, ??? ??????? ???????????????? ??????????? ? ?????????? ???????????.
?????? ?????? ????? ? ????? ???? ? ??????, ????? ?????????, ??????????? ? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ? ????????. ??? «????????? ??????» (1924), ??????? ?????????????? ?? ???????????? ???????? ?????????? ?????? ? ???-????? ? 1925 ????, ?????????? ????????????? ??????? ???????? «Corona Mundi» (? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ? ???????? ??????-????? ?.?.??????, ??????). ????? ???????, ??? ??? ??????? ????????? ???? ?????, ?????? ????????? ?? ???? ?????, – ??????? ?????? ?????? ? ??????? ???? ??? ??????????? ?????????.
«?????? ? ????????» ???????? ????? ?? ?????? ?????, ??????????? ?????????? ? ????? ? ????? ????????? ????????, ??????? ??? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ? ????? ?????? ???????? ??? ??????????????? ??????????.

Dr. Vladimir Rosov,
State Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow