Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich

signed in Cyrillic l.l.

Mr. Khvat, Helsinki
Acquired by the father of the present owners circa 1950

Helsinki, Salon Strindberg, Konstutställning no. 71, 1919

N.Roerich, List of Paintings 1917-1924. MS, Nicholas Roerich Museum Archive, no. 8
N.Roerich, Salon Strindberg, Konstutställning no. 71, Helsinki, 1919, p.8, no.135 
F. Grant et al., Roerich, Himalaya, A Monograph, New York: Brentano Publishers, 1926. p. 196

Structural condition: The artist's board is providing an even and stable structural support. There is an inscription in the upper left as viewed from the reverse and an old exhibition label on the reverse. There are some minor losses to the extreme right edge of the board, but these are partly obscured by the frame rebate. Paint surface: The paint surface has an even varnish layer. Inspection under ultra-violet light shows some scattered retouchings, the most notable of which are in the upper right and upper left of the composition, small spots and lines within the centre of the sky, small spots in the centre of the foreground, close to the lower right horizontal framing edge and in the extreme lower right corner. Summary: The painting would therefore appear to be in good and stable condition, and no further work is required.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This landscape was most likely painted in early 1918 in Sortavala, where the Roerichs lived after fleeing the Bolshevik Revolution. They had left behind all their possessions, money was quickly running out, and the future was uncertain. Roerich was slowly recovering from a long bout of nearly fatal pneumonia. To a friend he wrote: 'Whatever the trouble, I was finding solace in my work. I was amassing my dreams. What for? For ourselves and for that unknown race who will inherit the remains (in the form of some old painting).' His prolific output in 1918 yielded 117 works, more than half of which are landscapes of Karelia around Lake Ladoga.

The present lot is one of the very few winter scenes from this period. Snow and ice and bare rocks— not a hint of the turmoil in Roerich's personal life or of the madness then engulfing the continent. Bathed in warm evening sunlight, this is a timeless snapshot of peace and beauty - Roerich's haven to be inherited by 'that [future] unknown race'.

On its verso the panel bears the Strindberg Salon label and the surname of the first buyer, 'Khvat'. It is most likely that the painting was purchased from the Salon, because in his handwritten list of paintings Roerich marked the entry no.15 in 1918 - Karelia (snows) - as belonging to Mr. Khvat, Helsingfors (Helsinki). The owner's name was clearly added some time later, therefore we can safely assume that it belongs to the entry no.8 - Karelia. Evening Snow - which number, in Roerich's hand, is inscribed on the back of the present lot. Apparently the similarity of the two titles contributed to the mistake.

We would like to thank Gvido Trepša, Senior Researcher, Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York, for providing additional catalogue information.