Nicholas Roerich

Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh (Russian: Николай Константинович Рерих), better known as Nicholas Roerich (October 9, 1874 – December 13, 1947), was a Russian polymath, painter, writer, archaeologist, theosophist, philosopher, and public figure. He is best known for his prolific body of artwork, which spans over 7,000 paintings, and his contributions to a wide array of cultural, political, intellectual, and artistic movements and causes. Born in Saint Petersburg to a Baltic German father and Russian mother, Roerich had a privileged upbringing that exposed him to many artists, intellectuals, and scientists.