The American abstract painter’s deep relationship with both Theosophy and Mondrian oriented all her life, which she concluded as a devout Buddhist.
by Massimo Introvigne
In 2020, Swiss anthropologist Martin Brauen published for the first time correspondence and memoirs documenting the friendship and cooperation between Piet Mondrian (1872–1944), one of the fathers of modern abstract art, and American painter Charmion von Wiegand (1896–1983) after the two artists first met in 1941.
The book does not definitively solve the question whether their deep friendship evolved, as some believe, into a full-blown relationship. Brauen’s opinion is that Mondrian was “the love of Charmion’s life.” if within the context of a complicated and at times difficult relationship. Hower, Brauen believes the relationship was “platonic,” which meant “forgoing sexual relations” in favor of a spiritual and even “religious” experience of love.
Mondrian had joined the Theosophical Society in 1909 in the Netherlands and remained a committed member until his death. Von Wiegand also had a Theosophical background, and both her parents were members of the Theosophical Society.
Charmion and Mondrian met in New York on April 12, 1941, fostering a deep bond both personally and artistically until the Dutch master’s death on February 1, 1944.
American art historian Nancy Troy notes that under the dominant modernist perspective, which highly valued uniqueness and innovation, American artists influenced by Mondrian, such as Fritz Glarner (1899–1972), Burgoyne Diller (1906–1965), and von Wiegand, were often dismissed as imitative. This confined them into what Troy described as an “aesthetic purgatory,” especially because as an artist closer to the rival school of abstract expressionism, Frank Stella (1936–2024), once put it, many believed that their “theoretical underpinnings of theosophy and anti-materialism had done abstract painting a kind of disservice.”
Von Wiegand was born in Chicago on 4 March 1896. Her father Karl von Wiegand (1874–1961) was a respected international correspondent for the Hearst Press, who later became well known for a rare exclusive interview with Adolf Hitler (1889–1945). Charmion lived in San Francisco between 1902 and 1911, where as a teenager she attended meetings of the Theosophical Society with her parents. She studied both journalism and art, and later explored playwriting, poetry and literary criticism. In 1927, during a session of psychoanalysis her desire to become a painter emerged, and she was encouraged by her therapist to try.
Her acquaintance, the poet Hart Crane (1899–1932), convinced her to read “Tertium Organum,” a significant work by Russian Theosophist Piotr Demianovich Ouspensky (1878–1945). The book introduced her to the mystical teachings of George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (1866–1949), whom she met in 1924 and held in high esteem as her “spiritual guide” until he passed away in 1949. She also engaged with a small group of American writers who were followers of Gurdjieff, including well-known figures like Margaret Anderson (1886–1973) and Gorham Munson (1896–1969).
While living in Moscow from 1929 to 1932, mostly working as a journalist, von Wiegand remained a devoted student of Gurdjieff. During that period, she adopted elements of Marxism and contributed to the Soviet publication “Moscow Daily News.” In Russia, she encountered American Communist Joseph Freeman (1897–1965), who would later become the first editor of the “Partisan Review.” After separating from her first husband and marrying Freeman, she returned to New York in 1931 and gained prominence as a Marxist art critic, associating with several prominent artists.
Charmion’s interactions with Mondrian, along with art training from John Graham (1881–1961), rekindled her interest in Theosophy. During her 1948 Rome visit, she met metaphysical painter Giorgio de Chirico (1888–1978), who disparaged abstract art and pointed her to Terence Harold Robsjohn-Gibbings’ (1905–1976) book “Mona Lisa’s Mustache,” which presented modern art as a Theosophical occult scheme, and paradoxically implicated de Chirico himself in this conspiracy.
Von Wiegand thoroughly read through the book and became convinced of Theosophy’s significance for abstract art. Within a year, she managed to absorb the majority of Theosophy’s co-founder Madame Helena Blavatsky’s (1831–1891).
extensive and complex writings—quite a feat—along with texts by Theosophical leaders Annie Besant (1847–1933) and Charles Webster Leadbeater (1854–1934). She and Freeman left Marxism behind and began participating in Theosophical Society gatherings. Charmion grew convinced that the philosophical underpinnings of Mondrian’s Neoplasticism had strong connections to Blavatsky’s work, something Mondrian himself confirmed.
Mondrian inspired von Wiegand to take up painting again after a long pause. She delved into Surrealist automatic painting, as shown by her teachers Graham and Hans Richter (1888–1976), creating organic-shaped works in oil, watercolor, and collage that often drew on Besant and Leadbeater’s book “Thought-Forms.” A work representative of this phase is “The Nuptial Form” (1946–47).
Concurrently or soon after, she created pieces frequently identified as neoplasticist, such as “Night Environment Manhattan” (1946–9), and engaged with the American Abstract Artists group (AAA). She was not an “absolute” neoplasticist, and her color selections were influenced by her detailed examination of Blavatsky’s theories on color.
She delved deeper than Mondrian in Eastern sources, by actively exploring Blavatsky’s original references within Hindu and Buddhist holy scriptures, as well as studying the Chinese “I Ching,” venerable temple designs, and traditional magic squares.
Her interest in Theosophy sparked a shared love for ancient Egypt with her father. Researching Egyptian sarcophagi dimensions influenced her paintings, like “The Emerald Tablets” (circa 1952), showcasing triangular and rectangular patterns. Unlike Mondrian, von Wiegand had a penchant for travel, often visiting Egypt, India, and Tibet.
During the 1950s, von Wiegand joined a growing number of American artists who embraced Buddhism. Her journey through various forms of Buddhism was influenced by her initial encounters with Gurdjieff’s teachings and her examination of Central Asian art. These experiences contributed to her eventual profound involvement with Tibetan Buddhism and advocacy for Tibetan refugees escaping the Chinese occupation. Her artistic interaction with Mark Tobey (1890–1976), an American Baháʼí artist, also played a role in the orientalizing influence on her work.
Eventually, von Wiegand immersed herself in Tantric Buddhism, and her work from the 1960s reflects a profound portrayal of Tantrism from a Western perspective. Rather than simply copying Eastern styles, she reimagined Western modern abstract art through a Tantric viewpoint.
She felt she was advancing beyond Mondrian’s work, not leaving it behind. Her connection with Tibetan Buddhism and Tantrism grew stronger in her later life, especially after her husband Joseph Freeman’s passing in 1965, when she formed a close relationship with Khyongla Rato (1923–2022), an exiled Tibetan abbot. Through this connection, she also had the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama.
She assisted Rato in articulating his ideas in polished English, much like she had supported Mondrian years earlier. Likewise, Rato looked after Charmion when cancer significantly debilitated her during her final years.
Following recognition with retrospectives, such as one at Bass Museum in Miami, and global showcases in Rome and London, Charmion von Wiegand passed away on June 8, 1983. Her artwork and belongings were bequeathed to the New York Tibet Center, which she had helped Rato to found.
Von Wiegand is becoming more acknowledged as a significant figure in American abstract art. By first delving into Mondrian’s Theosophical influence and then tracing it to Eastern origins, von Wiegand slowly veered away from neoplasticism. Her spiritual journey might have been something Mondrian himself would have appreciated.
