Some of the works and documents of the most significant early Theosophical painter perished this year when the flames destroyed Altadena’s Theosophical Society. Others survived.
Religion and arts
Carlo Adolfo Schlatter: A Theosophical Painter in Florence
The artist devoted several years to “present the essence of Theosophy in a concise, simple but conclusive form.”
Pope Francis’ Artistic Taste: Alejandro Marmo, “Martin Fierro,” and Babette
The deceased Pontiff’s favorite artist, poem, and film tell us something of his ideas about the social and prophetic role of the arts.
Titian’s Easter Bunny: A Very Serious Business
The hare represented Jesus and his virgin birth, as the hares were (falsely) believed to reproduce without loss of virginity.
Dane Rudhyar: Theosophist, Composer, Astrologer, Artist
The world-famous astrologer and member of the Theosophical Society was also a gifted painter and participated in significant 20th-century artistic movements.
Aleksandra Ionowa: The Esoteric Art of Finland’s Forgotten Mediumistic Artist
An exhibition in Espoo, Finland, emphasizes the painter’s Theosophical connections and reveals a secret about her relationship with Blavatsky.
Gauguin, Theosophy, and Comparative Religion
Some scholars have claimed that “Theosophy was Gauguin’s world view.” Not all agree, as Swedenborg and the Spiritualist comparativist Gerald Massey were equally important influences.
Emil Bisttram: Between Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, and Prophecy
The Hungarian-born American painter was an important figure in several esoteric societies, and produced works that he believed were “portals” to enter the New Age.
Ilona Harima: A Brilliant Finnish Theosophical Painter
Her membership in the Theosophical Society is crucial to understand the artist’s themes and idiosyncratic style.
Ardhanarishvara: The Hindu Perfection of the Androgyne
An exquisite 11th-century sculpture in the Chennai Bronze Gallery epitomizes the universal aspiration to the restoration of an original androgynous status.