https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16804/lot/67/
Lot 67*
Sold for £ 19,200 (RUB 1,694,598) inc. premium
THE RUSSIAN SALE
8 Jun 2009, 14:00 BST
LONDON, NEW BOND STREET
LOT DETAILS
Svyatoslav Nikolaevich Roerich (Russian, 1904-1993)
'Kulu man'
signed with initials (lower left); further signed in Latin 'S. Roerich 1937 Kulu man' and numbered '26' (on verso)
oil on canvas
42 x 47.2cm (16 9/16 x 18 9/16in).
FOOTNOTES
In the 1920s Nikolai Roerich moved the family from Darjeeling to Naggar in the Kulu Valley, northern India. As the artist, and father of Svyatoslav, states in a letter written from there in 1929, the valley exerted a mystical appeal on all those who passed through: 'The sacred Kulu valley lies hidden on the border of Lahoul and Tibet, forming the most northern part of Punjab...the most significant names and events have gathered in this beneficial valley. It is called the Silver Valley. Whether in winter, when the snowy cover sparkles, or in spring when all the fruit trees are covered with snowy-white blossoms, the valley equally well merits this name.' The offered lot is an example of Svyatoslav's fascination with capturing both the spiritual and anthropological aspects of this region.