1897
oil on canvas
124,7 х 184,3

The picture's theme is inspired by imagery of pagan Russia. It incorporates features of northern Art Nouveau with its typical atmosphere of high antiquity, grim grandeur of the past and ancient terror. Rerikh achieves the sensation of the depth of centuries using mysterious blue and green colour scheme, generating a mood of anxiety. Darkness covers the outlines of shore, turning it into a terrifyingly dark land, full of night secrets, hostile to lonely rowers. The artist conveys the view of the surrounding world, which was typical of the pagans, who deified all natural elements and phenomena. So the messengers see the appearance of a horned moon as a good omen. The manner of the picture's execution shows both the influence of A.I.Kuinji, Rerikh's teacher, and the artist's enthusiasm for applied art, which found its expression in the frame, made to a drawing by the master himself and decorated with magic images of animals, to form a part of the overall decoration, along with the painting.

at 10, Lavrushinsky Lane, Hall 47