Important Notice

Nicholas Roerich’s artistic and intellectual productions are inextricably linked to his spiritual visions and discoveries. Throughout the majority of his adulthood and career, Roerich has engaged with Western and Eastern spiritual traditions and heritage to find inspiration for his work - ranging from Russian and Slavic mythology during his early years in Imperial Russia to Buddhist philosophies and Vedanta during his final years in the... Nicholas Roerich’s artistic and intellectual productions are inextricably linked to his spiritual visions and discoveries. Throughout the majority of his adulthood and career, Roerich has engaged with Western and Eastern spiritual traditions and heritage to find inspiration for his work - ranging from Russian and Slavic mythology during his early years in Imperial Russia to Buddhist philosophies and Vedanta during his final years in the Himalayas.

Roerich was born in 1874 in St. Petersburg to an upper middle-class family that was well connected to the influential crowd of Russia’s vibrant art and cultural world. He developed an interest in archaeology and prehistoric artefacts and showed a propensity for drawing at a young age. He went on to enroll at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts - while simultaneously pursuing a degree in law upon his father’s wish - and was quick to gain recognition and acclaim as a rising talent through his painting The Messenger, which was produced as his graduation piece in 1897.

In the following decade, Roerich established himself as a historical painter, delving into the history and prehistory of Russia through his art. With the emergence of Russian Symbolism, “Roerich entered a new phase of stylistic evolution... [where] Symbolism remained crucial to his mindset, but archaism became just as important, as his interpretations of terrain and human culture began to focus less on historical Russia and more on the prehistoric origins and beliefs of humanity overall.” (John McCannon, “In Search of Primeval Russia: Stylistic Evolution in the Landscapes of Nicholas Roerich, 1897-1914”, Ecumene, Vol. 7, No. 3, Sage Publications Ltd., 2000, p. 273, online)

“By the 1910s, ... Roerich was already in the process of abandoning his earlier Russian and Slavic particularism in favor of an outlook that was much more universalist... He also addressed religious questions in his work, drawing upon ideas and images from a multitude of faiths, including Russian Orthodoxy, Hinduism, shamanism, and various forms of Buddhism. The tone of his painting became increasingly metaphoric and symbolic. Roerich was beginning to see art primarily as a spiritual exercise, a means by which to gain insight into the cosmic mysteries. One way or another, then, almost all of his works from this period and afterward can be interpreted as metaphysical landscapes - attempts to render on cloth and board otherworldly realms that mirrored some kind of pantheistic profundity.” (John McCannon, “Apocalypse and Tranquility: The World War I Paintings of Nicholas Roerich,” Russian History, Leiden: Brill, 2003, p. 304, online)

St Mercurius of Smolensk was painted by Roerich during this transformative period, when he shifted from historical and objective painting to an exploration of faith and spirituality, namely, Eastern Orthodoxy, Russian mysticism and, eventually, Theosophy, Vedanta and Buddhism. Painted in 1919, this version of St Mercurius of Smolensk is the second of his two known productions of the same title and theme – the first being painted in 1918 (see reference image below).

The painting belongs to Roerich’s body of work that was dedicated to Russian saints and their virtuous lives. It depicts a scene from the medieval legend of St Mercurius, a soldier and holy martyr in Russian Orthodox belief who defended the region of Smolensk against the Mongol conquests of the 13th century. Roerich captures the moment where Mercurius, who was beheaded during the battle with the Mongol army, returns to the city of Smolensk after his triumph.

The 1918 version of this painting presents a more vibrant and theatrical composition, with celebratory details such as an angelic choir welcoming Mercurius in the top-right corner and more colourful and decorative architecture visible in the background. However, the present lot offers a simpler and more sober execution of the scene, which may seem more appropriate to the martyrdom of St Mercurius. Roerich uses a calmer palette and adopts a less-finished and plain compositional approach that rightly leads the viewer’s attention to the main subject matter: St Mercurius. While his painting style primarily echoes Russian Symbolist influences, one can also notice the early hints to a simple, ethereal and uniquely Roerich artistic style that is centred on mysticism, a quality that came to define the majority of his later works.

Having been painted a year after the end of the Great War, Roerich’s choice to portray a saintly war-hero in this oil on canvas is perhaps influenced by the apocalyptic atmosphere of the wartime, and the resulting volatile political climate in Russia. Historian John McCannon explains, “During the war, Roerich hoped to save both the actual nation of Russia and, equally important, the metaphoric Russia, symbol of the supernatural domain he strove to call into being with his art... By way of preserving the pristine spiritual sphere that the symbolic Russia reflected, Roerich dedicated much of his art to it. In various guises, he painted the lost eden he felt ancient Russia had been, that the modern world needed to be more like, and that the juggernaut of continental war threatened to destroy for all time. Along with trying to keep alive what he considered to be the essence of Russian soulfulness and virtue, Roerich was coping with wartime madness by retreating into tranquility. Roughly a third of Roerich’s wartime paintings served as a psychological balm, providing mental and spiritual surcease during a time of unprecedented calamity.” (McCannon, Russian History, pp. 306-307)

It is thus likely that Roerich resorted to the inspiring narrative of St Mercurius, who defended Russia and the Christian faith at a critical time, to present to the viewers, and possibly himself, the scope for salvation and hope. “As saints from Russia’s past called upon God to defend their cities and their country, so Roerich attempts to invoke the power of the divine on behalf of modern Russia.” (McCannon, Russian History, p. 307)

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