Blue lake in the mountains (sketch for the painting "Treasure" in 1919) Roerich N.K. (Part 2)

The drawing presents a landscape dominated by a body of water and distant mountains. The composition is structured around horizontal planes, creating a sense of depth and recession into space. A foreground ridge, rendered in meticulous detail with short, hatched lines, occupies the lower portion of the image. These marks suggest texture and form, giving the impression of rocky terrain.
The lake itself fills much of the middle ground. Its surface is indicated by subtle gradations of blue, suggesting a reflective quality while also conveying atmospheric perspective – the further reaches appear paler and more diffused. Beyond the water rise a series of mountains, their forms simplified into broad, gently sloping masses. These peaks are similarly rendered in shades of blue, reinforcing the overall cool color palette and contributing to a unified visual tone.
A single, slender plant with leaves extends from the right side of the foreground ridge, its delicate form contrasting with the solidity of the surrounding landscape. This element introduces a note of organic detail and perhaps hints at resilience or life persisting within this seemingly austere environment.
The artist’s use of monochromatic blue tones creates an atmosphere of quiet contemplation and solitude. The sketchs unfinished quality – the visible hatching, the lack of definitive outlines – suggests a preliminary study, a moment of exploration rather than a finalized representation. This lends the work a sense of immediacy and intimacy.
Subtly, there is a feeling of melancholy or introspection evoked by the muted colors and simplified forms. The landscape appears remote and untouched, suggesting themes of isolation, perhaps even longing for an unreachable vista. The sketch’s function as a preparatory study implies that this scene held significance for the artist, serving as a foundation for a larger work – a treasure to be discovered or revealed through further development.