That Shambhala can be established on earth was an idea Roerich was able to sell to Stalin. But the dictator and the artist had in mind different kinds of kingdoms.
Religion and arts
Nicholas Roerich, Shambhala, and Agartha. 1. Tibet and Paris
The notions of mythical and mystical kingdoms Shambhala and Agartha, as we know them today, are largely influenced by the views of the Russian painter.
“I Got Everything from ‘The Secret Doctrine’”: Mondrian and Theosophy, a Misunderstood Relationship
Denied by some art historians, the influence of the Theosophical Society (which in turn rejected his artistic theories as too complicated) remained crucial until the Dutch painter’s last days. .
Theosophy and Modern Art: The Tragedy of Florence Fuller
The strong experiences of the Australian artist with the Theosophical Masters and her involvement in the Leadbeater case led her to spend twenty years in a psychiatric hospital.
Charmion von Wiegand’s Journey: From Theosophy to Tibetan Buddhism
The American abstract painter’s deep relationship with both Theosophy and Mondrian oriented all her life, which she concluded as a devout Buddhist.
Francesco Randone: Between Theosophy and Etruscan Dreams
The Italian ceramist, who lived in a tower within Rome’s Aurelian Walls, created occult rituals for firing ceramics with Theosophical, Etruscan, and Tolstoian elements.
Joseph Cornell, Christian Science, and the Invention of Contemporary Art
All of Cornell’s work was but “a variation on the single theme of Christian Science metaphysics,” a statement not by an art historian but by the artist himself.
Tomás Povedano and María Fernández: Theosophy, Krishnamurti, and the Arts in Costa Rica
The painter and the novelist and First Lady were both Theosophists who dreamed to make Costa Rica into the first country officially acknowledging Krishnamurti as the World Teacher.
László Mednyánszky: Art, Theosophy, and a Homoerotic New Religion
The Slovak-Hungarian painter was a unique example of artist influenced by the Theosophical Society who combined Theosophical ideas with a sacralization of homosexuality.
Carpaccio’s “Portrait of a Knight”: The Last Hurrah of Chivalric Spirituality
The works of PierLuigi Zoccatelli, who left us last month, may serve as a guide to the greatest painting of the Venetian artist.