The artwork, titled “Scenery sketch for Mussorgsky’s opera ‘Khovanshchina,'” was created by Nicholas Roerich around 1920. It belongs to the Art Nouveau (Modern) movement and is a representative example of the sketch and study genre.
In this artwork, the viewer observes a preliminary visualization of a stage set, depicted with a minimalist yet evocative style. The sketch utilizes simple, yet pronounced, lines to delineate architectural elements, which seem to belong to a city or settlement. These structures are rendered in a loose, exploratory manner, suggesting an atmospheric and dramatic setting, fitting for an opera stage. The background features hazy, indistinct forms, adding a sense of depth and mystique to the composition. The use of pencil on paper imparts a muted and contemplative tone, capturing the preliminary artistic thoughts of Roerich for Mussorgsky’s operatic performance.
