Nicholas Roerich. Great Intuitionist. Great Intuitionalist. Intuitionalism Intuitionism Intuitivist Intuitivism The description of a pictures. Masterpieces of Russian painting

Ominous Ones. 1901. Oil on canvas. 103 x 230. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Nicholas Konstantinovich felt that his epoch was the epoch of radical historical changes. The topic of revenge was accented in Roerich’s art for the first time in 1914 just before the war. It was reflected on canvas The Last Angel (1912). Over the earth that is in flames in crimson clouds there is an apocalyptic angel which renders according to deserts for evil made; and there are flashing summer lightning’s on the skyline they notify about new life on the purified earth. Roerich as though expects fires of the future war. Not casually Maxim Gorky named of Roerich "the Great Intuitionist".

In the years immediately preceding World War I, Roerich sensed an impending cataclysm, and his paintings symbolically depicted the awful scale of the conflict he felt descending upon the world. These works marked the birth of Roerich the “prophet.”

The Herald. 1914. Charcoal, pastel on cardboard. 75 x 89. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Battle in the Heavens. 1912. Tempera on cardboard. 66 x 95. State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Crowns. 1914. Oil on canvas. 75 x 119. The Museum of Russian Art, Kiev, Ukraine.

Fairest City is the Enemies’ Vexation. Variant. 1912. Oil tempera on panel. 71,5 x 92,3. Museum by name of Nicholas Roerich, ICR, Moscow, Russia. Fairest City is the Enemies’ Vexation. Variant. 1912. Oil tempera on panel. 45,5 x 45,5. Private collection, USA.

In Battle in the Heavens Roerich used the violent contrast of light and darkness to suggest the terrible events that would soon overtake Russia and all Europe. By this time, in his depiction of both historical and natural themes, symbolism and the use of allegory had become essential ingredients in his work. As one critic wrote: “He populated his world not with participants in transitory dramas and comedies, but with spokesmen for the most steadfast ideas about the truth of life, the millennial struggle of good and evil, the triumphal procession of a bright future for all.”

Many artists and writers had a presentiment of approaching accident, and in their creativity has found reflection growing feeling of an alarm. It is a lot of pictures Рерих has written in 1912-1914 years. In these pictures was enough prophecies of cataclysmes, conducting to destruction of the world: The Last Angel (1912), Purest City is the Enemies’ Vexation (1912), Battle in the Heavens (1912), The Herald (1914), Crowns (1914), Cry of the Serpent (1914), The Doomed City (1914).

All of them foretold inevitable sufferings and destructions through powerful allegorical symbols taken from folklore and bible plots.
“And I saw another strong angel comming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and hisface was as the sun, and hisfeet as pillars of fire...” (Revelation, 10).
“Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his workis” (Revelation, 22).

"In silence that vision was manifested: Translucent became all objects. And the Image of the Great Guest appeared effulgent. And his lips remained silent and he crossed his hands, and from each hair streamed light. And unfathomably, piercingly, glowed his eyes.
Zealously the Flaming One brought the message of the renewed and blessed world. Mysteriously he ordained the sign of Bliss. Daringly he recalled the Never-expressible. Untiringly in the hours of day and night he awakens the heart of humanity. He ordains the victory of spirit. And all will cognize and accept it with the language of their hearts" (N.Roerich, REALM OF LIGHT).

"When humanity lost all the sensitive threads of receptivity, fiery means had to be employed; the fiery sword of purification, the fiery sword of construction, the fiery sword of striving, the fiery sword of new energy. All the fiery tensions will give to humanity the creativeness of fiery saturation. Thus, the fiery sword brings to humanity when there is cooperation the ordained cosmic possibilities. And when the cosmic creativeness will be fierily affirmed all energies will approach. It is a decisive moment, and one which uplifts the human consciousness. Thus is human thought limitlessly saturated" (Living Ethics, Infinity, 746).

Cry of the Serpent. 1914. Tempera on panel. 84 x 98. Pskov Historical and Art Museum, Pskov, Russia.

The Doomed City. 1914. Tempera. Omsk regional museum of fine arts by М.А. Vrubel, Omsk, Russia.

The Dead City. 1918. Oil on panel. 44,5 x 67. Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, USA.