Nicholas Roerich: The Life & Art of a Russian Master

by Jacqueline Decter

Traces the life and career of the Russian artist, examines the motivating forces behind his art, and offers reproductions of his paintings of ancient Slavic and mythic subjects, Himalayan landscapes, and religious themes

Genres: Art, Biography

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Victor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Though Roerich's life is fascinating and there is a representative sample of his art reasonably well reproduced throughout, there is also consistent reference to artwork that didn't make it into the book, a fair amount of repetition in the text, and a near criminal absence of a real critical analysis of his work, even on a casual basis--most of the descriptions of paintings, included or not, are lists of colors used and the putative subjects of the works, which eventually became more expressionistic and, yes, abstract as his work matured and are therefore obnoxiously pointless.

[Jose · Rating 2 out of 5]

A straightforward book about Roerich’s life and achievements with some nice images. It does lack insights into his artistic techniques as well as a complete lack of analysis on the artist personality or opinions beyond his obvious interest in primitive folklore and spirituality. Very superficial mentions on his relationship and opinions about the Soviets for example or the context of his spiritual and artistic goals.