Roerich Svyatoslav Nikolaevich. Life and creativity of Roerich

Pictures of Svyatoslav Roerich can be seen in the museums of Belgium, Bulgaria, USA, France, India, Russia. The mastery of the artist earned world recognition. Complexity of compositions, harmonious sounding of colors, expressiveness of lines - his creativity is equated to masterpieces of art.

The magnificent paintings, philosophical books left behind Roerich. Svyatoslav Nikolayevich - teacher, organizer, public figure - spent most of his life in India. Honorary awards of many countries testify to his great contribution to the development of culture and friendship of peoples.

His multifaceted activities include architecture, theater, painting, graphics, book illustration, ornithology, archeology. It is a well-known fact that the epidemic of pulmonary plague in India could not be stopped by official medicine. Svyatoslav Nikolaevich independently composed the prescription of the vaccine. Vaccinations based on it saved many lives.

Family of the Roerichs

Even under Peter I the ancestor of the Roerich family, a Swede by nationality, moved to Russia. His surname, translated into Russian, meant "rich in glory." This family was famous for its public figures, writers, artists, philosophers.

• Nikolai Konstantinovich (1874-1947) - Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. Thanks to him, the Society for the Protection and Preservation of Art and Antiquities in Russia appeared. In the United States, he created cultural and educational communities and associations. His travels through the Himalayas, Tibet, Altai, Mongolia, later - by Manchuria and China were reflected in travel notes and stunning canvases. He graduated from his earthly journey in India, leaving behind more than 7000 paintings.
• Elena Ivanovna (1879-1955) - his wife, in her youth shone with musical talents. She performed with solo concerts as a pianist. Participated in the expeditions of her husband, was the inspiration and companion of his creative plans. He is the author of the books "Fundamentals of Buddhism", "Cryptograms of the East", "Banner of St. Sergius of Radonezh."
• Yuri Nikolaevich (1902-1960) - their eldest son, possessed amazing linguistic abilities. Dozens of languages knew perfectly. He was the director of the Himalayan Institute of Scientific Research "Urusvati", he taught at the Kalimpong University (India). In Moscow, he headed the sector of religion and philosophy of India at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Svyatoslav Roerich. Short biography

Svyatoslav Nikolaevich (1904-1993) - the youngest son of Nikolai Konstantinovich and Elena Ivanovna. Growing up among talented people, he himself had many abilities. From his childhood he studied painting, studying languages. Father took Svyatoslav in archaeological trips, where he studied the history of ancient Russian cities.

After graduating from Columbia University (USA) he is engaged in illustrations of books, graphics. Since 1923, he headed the International Center for the Arts "Crown of Mundi" in New York, founded by his father.

Later, after moving to his parents in India, he devotes his time entirely to artistic creativity. Creates landscapes, portraits, holds solo exhibitions. Gradually joining the religion and philosophy of India, he heads the School of Art in Bangalore. His wife became Devika Rani, an Indian film actress.

Roerich Svyatoslav Nikolaevich was the initiator of the creation in 1989 of the Soviet Fund of the Roerichs, where he handed over the archives of his parents and brother. Promoted the strengthening of friendly relations between Russia and India. He was awarded the highest order of this eastern country - "Padsh-Bhushan".

Devika Rani

Devika Rani from the very early age was brought up in the family of her relative, Nobel Prize winner, writer Rabindranath Tagore. High culture of her environment, passion for art - all this served as an impetus to the development of excellent acting qualities. Devika Rani graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Royal Academy of Music in England.

Received a degree in architecture. Was filmed in films, directed by her first husband. Not only in India, but also in Europe, films were a huge success. Subsequently, Devika Rani herself became a decorator and director (this art she trained in Germany).

Indian loyalty to the family, European education, numerous talents and beauty have not left Roerich indifferent. They met while working on her new film. Initially, Svyatoslav Roerich refused to fulfill the order of the film producer Rani. She liked the paintings of the artist. She planned in the same style to create scenery for her film. Devika went to a personal meeting with Roerich, not suspecting that soon he would become her companion of life.

Roerich, biography Which densely intertwines with the life of Devika Rani Roerich, at first sight he loved his future wife. He writes numerous portraits of his wife. His parents highly valued the spiritual qualities of the daughter-in-law, her high culture, education.

Pictures of Svyatoslav Roerich

Numerous trips from an early age, fascination with different cultures and languages left their mark on the work of Svyatoslav Nikolaevich. He created magnificent canvases on oriental themes. Participated with his father in creating scenery for the operas "Sadko", "Snow Maiden", "Prince Igor".

The versatility and vivid individualism of his paintings was valued during the artist's lifetime. Personal exhibitions were held with great success. They feature portraits of famous people of the time, Himalayan landscapes, genre sketches from Indian life.

He paid much attention to the study of paints by Roerich. Paintings Indian paintings are not written with oil. The method of drawing paintings by tempera (on the water) carried Roerich. Local artists carefully kept their secrets. Their colors remained bright and vivid after centuries.

A great influence on the work of Svyatoslav had a father-Roerich. Paintings, Created by Nikolai Konstantinovich, are deeply symbolic. At the same time, they are accurate and documentary (in particular the Himalayas mountain ranges). Landscapes Svyatoslav - more tender, softer. His tone is muffled, the details are slightly blurred and clouded.

All the pictures of Roerich with names It is impossible to find in museums in reproductions or in electronic form. They wrote a little more than 4000 paintings, many of which are in private collections of different countries.

Landscapes

The description of the paintings of Roerich can not be conveyed unequivocally. The artist's paintings consist of color contrasts, softened by the atmospheric flow. They seem to be permeated with the light of the Indian sun or clouded by the shadows of the dusk. In the film "The Great Rain" the elemental force captures the viewer, carries with his power a tropical downpour.

"And we are approaching" - the current of the river and the stone blocks pacify grandeur. The white tops of the mountains resemble the Himalayas. Roerich filled the picture with a clear rhythm of the river, the pulsation of life in contrast to the eternity of the snow peaks.

"Girnar" is a monumental mountain, smoothed by the softness of the clouds and the light of the setting sun. "Spring in Kullu" is permeated with the pink light of flowering trees. "Kanchenjunga" is an almost mystical tangle of clouds, mountains, light and all kinds of shades. "Damodar Kund" shows us how the transparency of the water reflects the greenery of trees, the high sky, this is the idyll of life.

Portraits

Creativity of Roerich Inextricably linked with portraits of famous people, politicians, relatives of the artist. Portraits of the father, mother, wife are written with love and boundless respect. "Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru" creates the image of a wise, noble person.

"Portrait of a Lama", "Portrait of an Old Tibetan" - Indian portraits of ordinary people (blacksmith, sisters, maharaja, girls), they are written realistically, vividly, piercingly.

Artist Roerich In his paintings emphasizes universal ideals - wisdom, steadfastness, courage, confidence, kindness, caring. His portraits are elegant, laconic, inexpressibly beautiful.

Roerich's desire for portraiture appeared early. He was not even 20 years old, when talent manifested itself and demanded all new examples for creativity. Highlanders, Tibetan lamas, children - in all the brightness of images, folk wisdom or carefree merriment is visible.

Female portraits are imbued with love, admiration of external beauty combined with wealth and strength of spirit. The artist's subjective perception is superimposed on the thorough realism of the letter.

Household sketches

Often in his canvases he returns to the work of ordinary people Roerich. Svyatoslav Nikolayevich fills the pictures with artless simplicity, saturated colors, they come to life in the eyes of the audience.

"My neighbors" is a village sketch. Under the scorching sun, rest two women, beside lazily the dog collapsed. A rhythmic picture is the combination of a midday rest and a woman's figure passing in the distance with a basket on her head.

"The potter's house" represents the hut of the seller of clay products. A pile of pots, palm leaves at home and two figures - the simplicity of the composition is fascinating.

The picture "Race" shows how a young girl and a little piglet run, barely touching the ground. This is how the Indian woman's giggling laughter is heard, which easily caught the edge of her robe.

"Daughters of the Sea" - a picture dedicated to fishermen. They themselves go out into the sea, catch and process the fish. Bronze bodies, the energy of these women are full of inner strength and integrity.

Religious paintings

Life of Roerich Is connected with India, its epic. Legends of Krishna were often used in his paintings by Svyatoslav Nikolaevich. His "Sacred Flute" is a young Krishna playing on his flute. The blue of the sky, the dark figure of a young man, a lonely cloud and gold of foliage - the gentle sound of a flute is carried across a desert area.

Before us, "Jacob and the Angel." The Christian theme of the picture is intertwined with a mystical shade of the sky and the glittering wings of an angel. "Christ with the disciples" is a traditional, almost iconographic image of people and an incredible, colorful sky. "When yogis gather," calm figures do not disturb the peace of the blue mountains, the general pacification of the area.

The eternal ideals of beauty and spirituality were reflected in the triptych "Crucified Humanity", the pictures "Eternal Life", "Eternal Call", "Feat".

Social activity

Roerich Svyatoslav Nikolaevich Was interested in the search for beauty, the highest spirituality of man. He believed that proper education promotes the development of a harmonious personality. He took great part in the work of a children's school in Bangalore. It was created on the basis of the philosophy of the Indian thinker Ghosh.

Nicholas Roerich also initiated the creation of the Roerich Pact, an agreement on protection against the destruction of monuments of art and architecture. Many forces had to be applied to Svyatoslav Nikolaevich, so that the Indian government signed the document. India joined the Covenant in August 1948.

For the contribution to the friendship between Russia and India, the strengthening of cultural ties, Roerich SN Received the title of laureate of the International Prize named after J. Nehru and the Order of Padma-Bhushan, government awards of various countries.

In the 70-80s of the XX century, Svyatoslav Roerich, whose biography is full of pious deeds, presented the Russian people with pictures of his father, published his books. Arranged Roerich reading. Later, after a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev, with the support of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Svyatoslav Nikolaevich initiated the creation of the Soviet Roerich Foundation and the Nicholas Roerich Museum. After the collapse of the USSR, the foundation was renamed the International Center of the Roerichs.

The artistic and cultural heritage of the family includes paintings, personal correspondence, books, essays, a family library, relics, personal belongings. All the contents (the weight of the cargo was 4 tons) was to go to the Center-Museum, one of the halls of which is named after Svyatoslav Nikolaevich. The museum offers lectures, exhibitions, theme nights.

Philosophy of SN Roerich

All the members of the Roerich family adhered to one philosophical line. The Ethics of Life called their system of views. This is the doctrine of the universe, its birth and evolution. The philosophical teaching of Living Ethics (Agni Yoga) is the 14-volume work of Helena Roerich. It is a synthesis of the ancient wisdom of the Masters of the East.

To reveal harmony, the higher sounding in a person or in an object became the main idea of Svyatoslav Nikolaevich. Infuse cosmic vibrations, make the soul respond - only so it is possible to get involved in new ideas, concepts.

Spiritual education through the vision of the beauty of nature is reflected in his work. Art can touch the soul of man. Formation of one's own character is a long process that goes through all life. Through the consonance of art, nature, the soul, it is possible to become part of the cosmic consciousness. That will gradually lead to the improvement of man himself.

Beauty and harmony will help to eliminate ugly thoughts, low-lying acts, will contribute to the evolution of the soul. The artist is able to awaken in people an emotional response. It will help to look at the world in a different way. Beauty must penetrate into all spheres of human life. It is not abstract, but quite real. Clear from the ordinary, to see the beauty in every moment of life - this is Roerich's basic concept. If you feel its vibration, then changing your daily thoughts and actions will help change the soul.

Philosophy in creativity

The themes of humanism, justice, equality, brotherhood of all peoples described in the Ethics of Life are a red thread through the work of Svyatoslav Roerich. He freely writes on any topic - religious, domestic. His paintings have reflected eastern teachings and Christian laws, mythology and the triumph of faith.

The artist synthesizes the present and past eras, different cultures and nationalities. For him there are no countries and borders. His art unites all, from a simple shepherd to a supreme political figure.

In his paintings, the struggle between good and evil is clearly drawn by light and darkness. His portraits are concrete and capable of conveying the inner state of a person. Realism is synthesized with a truly cosmic combination of color.

The art of the artist clearly traces the individuality of Roerich, his inner wealth. The man in his paintings is a devoted son of nature, an indefatigable hard worker in her fields. He immortalized in his canvases the stability of the mountains and the mobility of the air, the beauty of sunrises and moonlit nights. External forms are subject to the artist's inner vision.

Conclusion

Artist Roerich Sought not only to grasp the basics of Indian art. He completely penetrated the very essence of the vital philosophy of the Indians. For millennia, the foundations of the human existence of this country were created. The artistic language of Roerich is a fusion of Russian and Indian culture.

Roerich's reproductions can be purchased at online stores. They are prepared for 3 to 5 days. The original of his paintings are in the workshop in Kulu and Bangalore, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, in private collections and numerous museums in India.

The unusualness of his paintings attracts the eye. A non-standard approach in combination colors, compositional solutions has a rich range. Beautiful, light paintings of Roerich imbued with kindness, faith in the bright future of mankind. Some canvases sound a warning - the elevation of the heart is more important than the body and the mind. He points out that compassion and mercy are the way of mankind's survival in an age of wars, ecological catastrophes, epidemics.

Roerich was interested in the idea of human self-education, the search for beauty in his soul and environment. He aspired to perfection and harmony in his work. The cosmic sounding of his canvases, the richness of the artistic language, the tremendous energy show the undoubted talent of this teacher, public figure, organizer, artist, writer.