Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich

oil and tempera on paper mounted on board
signed with the artist's monogram and dated 17 l.l., bearing a Master Institute of United Arts label and an ACA Galleries label on the backing board

Master Institute of United Arts, New York
ACA Galleries, New York
Jacques Grange Collection, Paris

Stockholm, Gummesons Konsthall., Rörich Separatutställning (Roerich Personal Exhibition), 1918, no.45
The Nicholas Roerich Exhibition, Kingor Galleries, New York, NY; Boston Art Club, Boston, MA; Albright Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY; Art Institute, Chicoago, Il; Saint Louis, MO; Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA, et al. 1920-1923. 

Stockholm, Gummesons Konsthall., Rörich Separatutställning (Roerich Personal Exhibition), 1918, no.45 listed
Christian Brinton, The Nicolas Roerich Exhibition, New York, 1920, p. 25, illustrated b/w, no. 47 listed
A.V. Yaremenko, Nikolai Konstantinovich Roerich: his life and creations during the past forty years, New York, 1931, pl. 46, titled Finland (1917) and illustrated b/w

The sheet has been laid on board at the edges. Minor abrasions and paint losses at the edges, especially the lower one where there is a line of dirt probably due to a previous frame. Minor tear in the lower left which is not visible when framed. Light scratches are scattered across the composition. A few minor spots of dirt are visible in the background. Framed and glazed. Overall in very good condition.
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In December 1916 Roerich moved with his family to Sortavala on the shore of Lake Ladoga to recover from illness. The rocky outcrops, steep cliffs, small islands and northern light inspired a celebrated series of panoramas. "These glimpses of lake, sky, immemorial rock and majestically sweeping cloud possess a freshness and clarity of tone and an imaginative appeal seldom encountered in contemporary art..." notes Christian Brinton in the introduction to his 1920 exhibition catalogue, "...the Finnish landscapes carry much further the note of simplification indicated in earlier work... You feel that the distant silhouette of low-lying mountain range is accurately observed. You sense the weight and bulk of great masses of rock, yet everywhere is evinced a rigorous suppression of detail."(C.Brinton, The Nicolas Roerich Exhibition, New York, 1920, Introduction)
By the summer of 1918 Roerich's health had improved and a solo exhibition of his work was organized in Stockholm to fund his onward travels.