Nicholas Roerich

Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947) was a Russian artist, archeologist and thinker; in short, the consummate Renaissance man. As a painter, he is best known for his landscapes, which boast an otherworldly quality thanks to his dynamic color palette. Roerich travelled extensively throughout India and Central Asia, and his works often depict scenes from these locales. Such landscapes have regularly realized over $1 million at auction and there is an institution - the Nicholas Roerich Museum - dedicated to the painter's life and art in New York.