Overseas Scandinavian guest from a painting by Roerich. "Overseas Guests" Roerich

Overseas guests (1902)
Nicholas Roerich (1874-1947). Russian Museum
Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich - artist-philosopher, artist-mystic, artist-wanderer, artist-archaeologist, artist-writer.
The legacy of Nicholas Roerich is an exceptional phenomenon in the history of Russian and world art. His canvases are attractive due to the uniqueness of their themes and subjects, their poetry, and deep symbolism. Roerich's bright life is like an amazing legend. Having started his journey in Russia, passing through Europe and America, he ended it in Asia.

There are artists whose lives bear the stamp of their unusual nature, original and original attitude to the world. Even a short biography of Nicholas Roerich resembles not just a fascinating story, but an entire novel. Soviet art critic I. Petrov notes that he was “a wonderful painter, a tireless traveler, a passionate researcher, philosopher and poet. He lived in France and Switzerland, Belgium and Holland, England and Germany, Finland and the USA, China and Japan; traveled to Ceylon, the Philippines and Hong Kong, in recent years he lived in India."

Not only his creativity, but also N. Roerich’s bright personality attracted people to him, and even during his lifetime his fame became almost legendary. Roerich's paintings, of which there are more than 5,000, can be found in leading museums and art collections around the world. In Russia, perhaps, there is no museum or gallery that does not possess several of his works. Some museums have entire rooms dedicated exclusively to his paintings, and a 29-story building was erected in his honor in New York City in 1929. It seems that for the first time in history, an entire museum was built for the masterpieces of one artist during his lifetime. One of the features of N. Roerich’s art, which determined all the directions of his creative searches, was the desire to embody in painting images of the distant, heroic past, to penetrate the meaning of ancient legends, and to convey all the poetic charm of folk life.

Kievan Rus, Viking raids, and legends of the Ancient East attracted Roerich at the very beginning of his creative activity. Speaking in 1898-1899 at the St. Petersburg Archaeological Institute with a series of lectures “Artistic technique in application to archaeology,” he said: “In order for a historical painting to make an impression, it is necessary that it transports the viewer to a bygone era. For this, the artist cannot invent and fantasize, hoping that the audience is unprepared, but in reality we need to study ancient life as soon as possible, imbue it with it, be saturated through and through.”

The best example of such penetration into the past were the historical paintings of the great V. Surikov. But he devoted his work to the events of the Muscovite kingdom of the 16th-17th centuries. And the historical layer that fascinated N. Roerich went back to the times of Kievan Rus and even further - right up to the Stone Age. History becomes for the artist a living part of national life; the source of the national principle in Russian art is for him the Russian people, who created amazingly beautiful poetic tales, songs, and artistic products. “When you look at ancient paintings, old tiles or ornaments, you think: “What a beautiful life it was!” What strong people lived it! How vital and close art was to everyone..." exclaimed N. Roerich.

N. Roerich immediately entered Russian art as a mature master. He graduated from the Academy of Arts with his diploma painting “The Messenger. Family to Family Revolted,” which was warmly welcomed by I. Repin and V. Surikov and purchased from the exhibition by P.M. Tretyakov. After "The Messenger", on the advice of I. Repin, N. Roerich leaves for Paris to the studio of the famous historical painter F. Corman.

The French artist immediately saw that he was already an established master, and treated his bright, original talent with care. When N. Roerich left France, his soul was already full of images of Ancient Rus'. Soon he creates a series of paintings called "The Beginning of Rus'. Slavs."

“Overseas Guests” is one of the paintings in this cycle, painted in 1901. She immediately received universal recognition, and the artist made several repetitions of her. The painting also has its own literary version in a short story written by N. Roerich in 1900. With apt, artistically precise words, he describes floating boats, the bows of which are completed with painted carved dragons. On their sides, colorful shields sparkling in the sun, sails filled with wind instill fear in their enemies. Boats sail along the Neva and Volkhov, the Dnieper and Lake Ilmen - to Constantinople itself. The Varangians go to bargain or to serve...

Also in the picture, painted Varangian boats slowly move towards the viewer across the blue surface of the serene sea. The patterned heads of griffin-dragons rise proudly, the steep sides of ships are decorated with multi-colored shields, scarlet sails glow against the background of the azure sky. The Vikings crowded at the stern peer with curiosity into the distances opening before them.

The picture also attracts with its colorful festivity. Open, intense tones create a feeling of joyful chime of bright colors. Red and blue, blue and golden-brown colors in the decoration of ships, in nature and in people’s clothing especially resonate next to the whiteness of light clouds and the wings of seagulls flying over the sea. The picturesqueness of this picture opens up to the viewer (as well as to the Varangians) a new, hitherto unknown country. And now we already recognize the patterns of folk ornaments and the festivity of ancient Russian art. In the memory of the audience, favorite tales from childhood about people of bygone times, about a glorious life covered in so many poetic legends, come to life. Beyond the bounds of centuries, where true history merges with myth, and the fabulous turns into reality, these guests live, who came from a foreign country to see Great Rus'.

Not only the boats and the helmeted Varangians sitting in them are historical, but also the landscape of nature itself. The wavy lines of green hills with rounded boulders remaining here and there are the result of the movement of glaciers, which smoothed and softened the sharp reliefs of the northern landscape. At the top of one hill three mounds are visible - these are the burial places of leaders. On the other is a Slavic town fortified with tyne and towers, from where, perhaps, the inhabitants look at the flotilla not only with anxiety and excitement, but also with curiosity.

N. Roerich’s skill with which he painted multi-colored planes illuminated by sunset rays and burning in the sun is amazing. The dense blue of the waves, cut by ships loaded with goods; green hills and walls of hail rising in the distance; the pure blue of the sky, the joyful radiance of the morning sun - everything makes you believe in a wonderful fairy tale.

The picture is full of movement - sometimes slow and heavy in the smooth movement of the boats, sometimes noisy and light in the hubbub of the seagulls and the swing of the oars. The motionless, as if sleeping hills only enhance the impression of the solemn arrival of the guests.

But, peering at the picture, we will not find in it brightly and vividly painted faces, individual characters, or unique individuals. The faces of the Vikings are barely visible, and the inhabitants of Russian cities are not visible at all. Russian artist S. Makovsky noted: “The faces of people on Roerich’s canvases are almost invisible. They are faceless ghosts of centuries. Like trees and animals, like quiet stones of dead villages, like monsters of folk antiquity, they are fused with the elements of life in the mists of the past. They are without a name... They do not exist separately and as if they never existed: as if before, long ago, in obvious life, they lived with a common thought and a common feeling, together with the trees, stones and monsters of antiquity.

On these canvases, shimmering with the dark luxury of ancient mosaics or bathed in pale waves of light, a person sometimes only appears... But half-visible, invisible - he is everywhere.”

And indeed, the image created in the painting “Overseas Guests” is not abstract. The sun shines uniquely in the waves and sails. The elegant Varangian ships are distinctive; the green coastal hills, houses and walls of a distant city also have their own “face”. In its silent buildings, in the sleepy slowness of the valleys and mountains, one can feel the dormant strength of the country.

The artist takes the viewer back to the depths of centuries, and he becomes an eyewitness to the vibrant pagan life of Ancient Rus'. And what stands before him is not individual heroes, not an entertaining historical episode, but, as it were, pages of chronicles read anew.

There are artists whose lives bear the stamp of their unusual nature, original and original attitude to the world. Even a short biography of Nicholas Roerich resembles not just a fascinating story, but an entire novel. Soviet art critic I. Petrov notes that he was “a wonderful painter, a tireless traveler, a passionate researcher, philosopher and poet. He lived in France and Switzerland, Belgium and Holland, England and Germany, Finland and the USA, China and Japan; traveled to Ceylon, the Philippines and Hong Kong, in recent years he lived in India."

Not only his creativity, but also N. Roerich’s bright personality attracted people to him, and even during his lifetime his fame became almost legendary. Roerich's paintings, of which there are more than 5,000, can be found in leading museums and art collections around the world. In Russia, perhaps, there is no museum or gallery that does not possess several of his works. Some museums have entire rooms dedicated exclusively to his paintings, and a 29-story building was erected in his honor in New York City in 1929. It seems that for the first time in history, an entire museum was built for the masterpieces of one artist during his lifetime. One of the features of N. Roerich’s art, which determined all the directions of his creative searches, was the desire to embody in painting images of the distant, heroic past, to penetrate the meaning of ancient legends, and to convey all the poetic charm of folk life.

Kievan Rus, Viking raids, and legends of the Ancient East attracted Roerich at the very beginning of his creative activity. Speaking in 1898-1899 at the St. Petersburg Archaeological Institute with a series of lectures “Artistic technique in application to archaeology,” he said: “In order for a historical painting to make an impression, it is necessary that it transports the viewer to a bygone era. For this, the artist cannot invent and fantasize, hoping that the audience is unprepared, but in reality we need to study ancient life as soon as possible, imbue it with it, be saturated through and through.”

The best example of such penetration into the past were the historical paintings of the great V. Surikov. But he devoted his work to the events of the Muscovite kingdom of the 16th-17th centuries. And the historical layer that fascinated N. Roerich went back to the times of Kievan Rus and even further - right up to the Stone Age. History becomes for the artist a living part of national life; the source of the national principle in Russian art is for him the Russian people, who created amazingly beautiful poetic tales, songs, and artistic products. “When you look at ancient paintings, old tiles or ornaments, you think: “What a beautiful life it was!” What strong people lived it! How vital and close art was to everyone..." exclaimed N. Roerich.

N. Roerich immediately entered Russian art as a mature master. He graduated from the Academy of Arts with his diploma painting “The Messenger. Family to Family Revolted,” which was warmly welcomed by I. Repin and V. Surikov and purchased from the exhibition by P.M. Tretyakov. After "The Messenger", on the advice of I. Repin, N. Roerich leaves for Paris to the studio of the famous historical painter F. Corman.

The French artist immediately saw that he was already an established master, and treated his bright, original talent with care. When N. Roerich left France, his soul was already full of images of Ancient Rus'. Soon he creates a series of paintings called "The Beginning of Rus'. Slavs."

“Overseas Guests” is one of the paintings in this cycle, painted in 1901. She immediately received universal recognition, and the artist made several repetitions of her. The painting also has its own literary version in a short story written by N. Roerich in 1900. With apt, artistically precise words, he describes floating boats, the bows of which are completed with painted carved dragons. On their sides, colorful shields sparkling in the sun, sails filled with wind instill fear in their enemies. Boats sail along the Neva and Volkhov, the Dnieper and Lake Ilmen - to Constantinople itself. The Varangians go to bargain or to serve...

Also in the picture, painted Varangian boats slowly move towards the viewer across the blue surface of the serene sea. The patterned heads of griffin-dragons rise proudly, the steep sides of ships are decorated with multi-colored shields, scarlet sails glow against the background of the azure sky. The Vikings crowded at the stern peer with curiosity into the distances opening before them.

The picture also attracts with its colorful festivity. Open, intense tones create a feeling of joyful chime of bright colors. Red and blue, blue and golden-brown colors in the decoration of ships, in nature and in people’s clothing especially resonate next to the whiteness of light clouds and the wings of seagulls flying over the sea. The picturesqueness of this picture opens up to the viewer (as well as to the Varangians) a new, hitherto unknown country. And now we already recognize the patterns of folk ornaments and the festivity of ancient Russian art. In the memory of the audience, favorite tales from childhood about people of bygone times, about a glorious life covered in so many poetic legends, come to life. Beyond the bounds of centuries, where true history merges with myth, and the fabulous turns into reality, these guests live, who came from a foreign country to see Great Rus'.

Not only the boats and the helmeted Varangians sitting in them are historical, but also the landscape of nature itself. The wavy lines of green hills with rounded boulders remaining here and there are the result of the movement of glaciers, which smoothed and softened the sharp reliefs of the northern landscape. At the top of one hill three mounds are visible - these are the burial places of leaders. On the other is a Slavic town fortified with tyne and towers, from where, perhaps, the inhabitants look at the flotilla not only with anxiety and excitement, but also with curiosity.

N. Roerich’s skill with which he painted multi-colored planes illuminated by sunset rays and burning in the sun is amazing. The dense blue of the waves, cut by ships loaded with goods; green hills and walls of hail rising in the distance; the pure blue of the sky, the joyful radiance of the morning sun - everything makes you believe in a wonderful fairy tale.

The picture is full of movement - sometimes slow and heavy in the smooth movement of the boats, sometimes noisy and light in the hubbub of the seagulls and the swing of the oars. The motionless, as if sleeping hills only enhance the impression of the solemn arrival of the guests.

But, peering at the picture, we will not find in it brightly and vividly painted faces, individual characters, or unique individuals. The faces of the Vikings are barely visible, and the inhabitants of Russian cities are not visible at all. Russian artist S. Makovsky noted: “The faces of people on Roerich’s canvases are almost invisible. They are faceless ghosts of centuries. Like trees and animals, like quiet stones of dead villages, like monsters of folk antiquity, they are fused with the elements of life in the mists of the past. They are without a name... They do not exist separately and as if they never existed: as if before, long ago, in obvious life, they lived with a common thought and a common feeling, together with the trees, stones and monsters of antiquity.

On these canvases, shimmering with the dark luxury of ancient mosaics or bathed in pale waves of light, a person sometimes only appears... But half-visible, invisible - he is everywhere.”

And indeed, the image created in the painting “Overseas Guests” is not abstract. The sun shines uniquely in the waves and sails. The elegant Varangian ships are distinctive; the green coastal hills, houses and walls of a distant city also have their own “face”. In its silent buildings, in the sleepy slowness of the valleys and mountains, one can feel the dormant strength of the country.

The artist takes the viewer back to the depths of centuries, and he becomes an eyewitness to the vibrant pagan life of Ancient Rus'. And what stands before him is not individual heroes, not an entertaining historical episode, but, as it were, pages of chronicles read anew

Painting by N. Roerich “Overseas Guests” written in 1901. Two years earlier, the artist traveled along the great waterway to Novgorod. The journey amazed the artist. He imagined how the Varangians sailed to the Slavic land along this path many years ago, how the Novgorodians went on campaigns, how the plows of the Novgorod merchant Sadko cut through the water boat. Then the artist had the idea to paint a picture about guests from overseas who sailed to the Russians for peace.

Strong boats easily cut through unfamiliar waters. Guests peer carefully at foreign shores. The artist clearly described the smallest details of the decoration of foreign ships, from the shields at the stern to the patterned carvings that crown the dragon's head. Rocks at the bottom are visible through the clear water.

Everything is calm in the foreign side. The water doesn't worry. Only ripples from ships run across it. The water is so blue, as if the blue of heaven was mixed with it. A flock of seagulls sat peacefully on the surface of the water. But strange alien ships scared the birds away. And now they are screaming around the boat, wondering who was carried by the tailwind.

And not a single person is visible on the shore. A Slavic settlement can be seen in the distance. But they are not worried about the appearance of overseas guests. The warlike Slavic tribes were accustomed to defending their rightness and independence by force. That is why guests are sailing to the Slavic shores, to make peace, to end hostility.

The picture amazes the viewer with the brightness of the colors, a kind of bright purity. How can you fight among this blue splendor, stretching far, far away, to the very horizon!

Essay describing the painting “Overseas Guests”

Painting “Overseas Guests” was written by N. Roerich in 1901. On it we see floating boats with painted dragons on their bows. In the boats, the overseas guests are Varangians; they travel, marveling at the beauty of Ancient Rus' and their shields sparkling in the sun.

We seem to feel the slow movement of painted boats across the blue surface of the sea, and their scarlet sails seem to glow against the heavenly background. The Vikings crowded at the stern and peered into unprecedented distances.

And here it is Great Rus'. At the top of one of the hills three mounds are clearly visible. The burials of the leaders were located there. Another hill adorns a Slavic town, from where, if you imagine, the inhabitants look at foreign boats with excitement and curiosity.

The blue waves depicted by Roerich, as if cut by ships, the blue sky, the radiance of the sun, and the greenery of the hills passing by are beautiful. But in "Overseas guests" we hardly see people's faces - they are like ghosts from the past.

The artist S. Makovsky said so about the works of N. Roerich: “People’s faces on Roerich’s canvases are almost invisible. They are faceless ghosts of centuries. Like trees and animals, like quiet stones of dead villages, like monsters of folk antiquity, they are fused with the elements of life in the mists of the past.”

In front of me is an image of a painting by Nicholas Roerich, an outstanding Russian painter, “Overseas Guests.” This work is part of the cycle “The Beginning of Rus'. Slavs". Everyone can find this painting in the Tretyakov Gallery. The artist loved to visit historical sites and imagine what happened in these places hundreds of years ago.

Looking at the picture, I immediately noticed the seagulls. They seem to be trying to cross the elusive boundaries of the canvas and are about to fly out into the wild. The bright blue sea is also depicted in such a way that its depth seems real and you can plunge into it, feel the cool freshness of the salt water if you come very close to the picture. The water is so clean and transparent that you can even see the stones lying at the bottom. Also visible are areas of land, hills with small settlements and Slavic houses smoothly transitioning into flat terrain.

It is impossible not to pay attention to the main fragment of the work - massive wooden ships with bright scarlet sails. The ancient Varangian tribes must be sailing on the ships. You could look at the ships of these warriors for a long time, because Roerich emphasized all the small details, patterns, shields, and the wooden dragon head. The local residents are not visible, no one is in a hurry to greet overseas guests, which means that a battle is not expected, they are sailing in peace.

Work by N.K. Roerich fascinates with its rich colors. An exciting, fantastic atmosphere of some ancient legends and epics is created. The picture is so filled with life that it seems as if the artist really observed all these events.

Essay based on Roerich’s painting “Overseas Guests”

It is impossible to imagine our native Russian land without expanses of water. These are rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. This theme occupies a large place in many artists' work. For a long time, merchants transported their goods along the numerous rivers of Russia, and people traveled. The painting “Overseas Guests” shows one of the waterways of Russia. I read that this path leads to the Nizhny Novgorod lands.

The author in his film showed the overseas guests who arrived in our region. Two large boats cut through the water surface. Merchants carefully peer towards distant, unfamiliar shores. The artist very accurately and colorfully depicted all the details, all the decorations on the boats. He showed both the shields on the stern and the patterned carvings. The dragon's head rises above the stern.

The river surface is cut by oars. Only the movement of the boat disturbs the peace of the water. The water in the picture is very clean, azure blue. It is so crystalline that the stones at the bottom are visible. White seagulls fly over the expanses of water. Perhaps the movement of the ships has frightened them and they are circling and screaming around them. It seems that the clear, blue sky is reflected in the river, creating an even brighter impression of the painting.

There is no one visible on the shore. Only in the distance do we see a small settlement. It is already difficult to surprise Russian people with anything, because they are accustomed to different guests, including warlike ones. Our compatriots could always repel ill-wishers and defend their independence. If the guests come in peace, they will receive a warm welcome. I think that the guests depicted in the picture arrived for peaceful purposes, not for hostility. The picture turned out to be very bright, the artist used rich colors, showing both the beauty of nature and ships. The boat stands out as a bright spot against the background of emerald-colored water and attracts attention, forcing you to admire it.

Essay based on the painting “Overseas Guests” by Roerich

The painting “Overseas Guests” immediately amazes with its bright colors. They create a fabulous atmosphere of ancient times. In the picture we see ships of warriors sailing along the coast. Roerich depicted the Varangian tribes that sailed to the Slavic lands.

Wooden ships are very beautiful: they are covered with luxurious carvings, they look very rich. The bow of the first ship is made in the shape of a dragon's head. Who knows, maybe for the Varangians this animal symbolizes good luck and protects travelers? The wind blows colorful sails. Slowly and proudly the ships sail towards the Slavic settlements.

Did the guests come in peace? The relaxed poses of the warriors and the joyful colors of their ships hint to us that this is so. Nothing in the picture portends trouble. Bright greenery, almost clear sky, calm surface of water - all this speaks of peace and friendship. If you look closely, you can make out several more ships in the distance, smoothly approaching the shore. They don't look hostile either. The guests probably arrived for negotiations or trade. The settlement we see on the hill also looks quite hospitable. Its residents clearly do not expect trouble.

White seagulls fly away from under the bow of the ship, frightened by the movement. Obviously, very soon the ship will reach the shore, and the long-awaited meeting of the two peoples will take place. In the meantime, travelers peer with wary interest at unfamiliar buildings. To them all this also seems unusual, “overseas”.

It is impossible to imagine our native Russian land without expanses of water. These are rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans. This theme occupies a large place in many artists' work. For a long time, merchants transported their goods along the numerous rivers of Russia, and people traveled. The painting “Overseas Guests” shows one of the waterways of Russia. I read that this path leads to the Nizhny Novgorod lands.

The author in his film showed the overseas guests who arrived in our region. Two large boats cut through the water surface. Merchants carefully peer towards distant, unfamiliar shores. The artist very accurately and colorfully depicted all the details, all the decorations on the boats. He showed both the shields on the stern and the patterned carvings. The dragon's head rises above the stern.

The river surface is cut by oars. Only the movement of the boat disturbs the peace of the water. The water in the picture is very clean, azure blue. It is so crystalline that the stones at the bottom are visible. White seagulls fly over the expanses of water. Perhaps the movement of the ships has frightened them and they are circling and screaming around them. It seems that the clear, blue sky is reflected in the river, creating an even brighter impression of the painting.

There is no one visible on the shore. Only in the distance do we see a small settlement. It is already difficult to surprise Russian people with anything, because they are accustomed to different guests, including warlike ones. Our compatriots could always repel ill-wishers and defend their independence. If the guests come in peace, they will receive a warm welcome. I think that the guests depicted in the picture arrived for peaceful purposes, not for hostility. The picture turned out to be very bright, the artist used rich colors, showing both the beauty of nature and ships. The boat stands out as a bright spot against the background of emerald-colored water and attracts attention, forcing you to admire it.

But Roerich has an unusual approach. His realism is expressed in the fact that he wants to hear and see in nature such aesthetic sounds and colors, such a truth of life that only he has known. Namely, Roerich, in the pulsating life of our planet, heard those life-affirming, evolutionary cosmic tones that only a highly cultured, musical spirit can perceive.

Painting by Nicholas Roerich “Overseas Guests”

N. Roerich’s painting “Overseas Guests” was painted in 1901. Two years earlier, the artist traveled along the great waterway to Novgorod"from the Varangians to the Greeks".
This ancient trade route existed approximately 1000 years ago and passed along the main roads of that time through the Dvina and Dnieper rivers, connecting the Varangian Sea (Baltic) with the Russian Sea (Black). The route passed through our Slavic lands, which were called White Russia; on this route, foreigners encountered such ancient Russian cities as Veliky Novgorod and Kyiv. This most important trade branch was mastered by the Scandinavian Vikings (Vikings), whose goal was to get to Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, the world's largest trading center. In the East Slavic lands, the Vikings were called Varangians (Varangians). The Varangians were the best traders and warriors in Europe at that time. We still remember the Varangians when we study archeology, writing, and folklore.

The journey amazed the artist.

He imagined how the Varangians sailed to the Slavic land along this path many years ago, how the Novgorodians went on campaigns, how the plows of the Novgorod merchant Sadko cut through the water boat.

Then the artist had the idea to paint a picture about guests from overseas who sailed to the Russians for peace.

Before us is a painting by the artist N.K. Roerich “Overseas Guests”. The painter's work takes us into the depths of time.

In the painting, Roerich depicted overseas guests sailing to Russian soil.
Painted boats walk in a long row along the blue surface of the river. The bright colors of the ships glow in the sun. The wind inflates the scarlet sails. The sides are decorated with multi-colored shields. The patterned heads of dragons look forward proudly. The Varangians are sailing in the boats. They transport goods to foreign countries.

Strong boats easily cut through unfamiliar waters. Guests peer carefully at foreign shores. The artist clearly described the smallest details of the decoration of foreign ships, from the shields at the stern to the patterned carvings that crown the dragon's head. Rocks at the bottom are visible through the clear water.
It's a warm spring day. Pure blue skies. The sun is shining joyfully and welcomingly. The dark blue river reflects red, yellow, green stripes and circles of overseas ship patterns. Snow-white gulls descended onto the waves and circled over the water.

Everything is calm in the foreign side. The water doesn't worry. Only ripples from ships run across it. The water is so blue, as if the blue of heaven was mixed with it. A flock of seagulls sat peacefully on the surface of the water. But strange alien ships scared the birds away. And now they are screaming around the boat, wondering who was carried by the tailwind.