During the First World War, Nicholas Roerich painted a series of pictures depicting holy men deeply revered in Russia – St Panteleimon the Healer, St Sergius of Radonezh, St Boris and St Gleb and St Procopius the Righteous. In popular belief, they were regarded as religious zealots – defenders, labourers, warriors and helpers. The artist employed such works to imbibe people with ideas of love and kindness and a summons to lay down arms and live in peace. St Procopius’ devotion to his native town of Ustyug the Great was the stuff of legends. The artist conveys the image of an unselfish defender and patriotic sage. Perched high up on a river bank, he blesses the sailors on each passing ship.

Roerich Nicholas

Roerich, Nicholas (Nikolai Konstantinovich)
1874, St Petersburg -7, Kullu (India)
Painter, theatrical designer, writer. Studied under Arkhip Kuindzhi at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1893-97), Faculty of Law, St Petersburg University (1893-98) and Fernand Cormon''s studio in Paris (1900-01). Academician of painting (1909). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1895). Contributed to the exhibitions of the World of Art (1902, 1903, 191 1-17; founding member 1910; chairman 1910-13), Union of Russian Artists ( 1903-10; member from 1903), Salon d''Automne (1906, 1907; member from 1906), Exposition Universelle in Paris (1900), World Exhibition in St Louis (1904), International Exhibitions in Munich (1909), Rome (1911, 1914) and Malmo (1914) and the Exhibitions of Russian Art in Paris (1906-08), Berlin (1906) and Vienna (1908). Director of the School of Drawing, Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (1906-16). Designed for theatres in Moscow and St Petersburg and Sergei Diaghilev''s Saisons Russes (from 1907). Emigrated (1918). Settled in Kullu in India (1928).