The hare represented Jesus and his virgin birth, as the hares were (falsely) believed to reproduce without loss of virginity.
Religion and arts
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.
Modern Vietnamese Painters in Paris: An Art Full of Spirits
Lê Phô, Mai Thứ, and Vũ Cao Đàm lived in France and learned French artistic techniques but never forgot the Buddhas and spirits of Vietnam’s tradition.
The Enigmas of Picasso’s “Crucifixion”
A great and difficult work, it has been called “a blind spot in Picasso scholarship.” What does it really have to do with religion?
The Early Pollock and the Esoteric Pollock
Visitors to the important Paris exhibition would not learn about his esoteric connections. But they can find them in his paintings.