Theosophy and Art: There Is No Religion Higher Than Truth

Magda Michalska 13 December 2018 min Read

The subtitle of today’s post is the motto of the American Theosophical Society, which has been functioning since its foundation in New York in 1875. Its most famous leader, Russian Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, taught that Theosophy was not a religion but a system synonymous with eternal truth which underlies not only all religions, but also philosophy and science. Yet, what does this esoteric movement have to do with art?

Piet Mondrian, Evolution, 1911, Gemeentemuseum den Haag, Hague, Netherlands, theosophy and art
Piet Mondrian, Evolution, 1911, Gemeentemuseum den Haag, Hague, Netherlands

Around 1890, many European intellectuals grew interested in mysticism and the occult, becoming intrigued with various spiritual writings, in particular with Madame Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine, which turned out to become of undoubtful significance and influence on such artists as Wassily Kandinsky, Frantisek Kupka, Piet Mondrian, or Kazimir Malevich, all of whom had their share in founding the new art of abstraction.

Frantisek Kupka, The beginning of life, 1901, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, theosophy and art
Frantisek Kupka, The beginning of life, 1901, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris

According to Theosophists, there is more to the world than what visible and material. Yet we are unable to it for lack of knowledge and hence we see things from a wrong perspective, which is the root cause of all our suffering. In order to explore the invisible dimension of the universe and human beings, artists who believed to see something more than just material reality felt a need to express it with their art. Gradually, the four artists turned away from Symbolic painting, understanding that figurative art could always be only a representation of spirituality, while Abstraction was its real manifestation because abstract art stepped beyond what’s simple and superficial.

Wassily Kandinsky, Blue Mountain, 1908, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, NY, theosophy and art
Wassily Kandinsky, Blue Mountain, 1908, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York City, NY

In his book Concerning the Spiritual in Art ( Über das Geistige in der Kunst), Kandinsky referred to many Theosophical ideas. Like Mme. Blavatsky, he believed that each person has an inner Notwendigkeit,  “necessity,” or in Sanskrit, swadharma, “essence or raison d’etre”, in other words, an inner nature, and that the purpose of art is to help people increase their self-awareness and help them express their inmost essence. And when people become more spiritual, they will be more able to improve the world, which according to the final words in Blavatsky’s book, “will be a heaven in the twenty-first century in comparison with what it is now.” (Not sure about that, but maybe it’s because Theosophy hasn’t conquered the world as much as it should have.)

Kazimir Malevich, Triumph of the Skies, 1907, private collection, theosophy and art
Kazimir Malevich, Triumph of the Skies, 1907, private collection

Theosophy’s doctrine of universal “brotherhood,” its inspiration with ancient and Eastern philosophies and sciences, and its investigation of the unexplained laws of nature corresponded to a profound need for change felt by many at dawn of the 20th century and in the face of the world irreversibly changed by the industrial revolution. The impact it had on the direction of the development of art is unmistakable. Yet, do we really owe it abstract art?

Learn more:

[easyazon_image align=”none” height=”110″ identifier=”1557000026″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/41XYHUv4qBL.SL110.jpg” tag=”dailyartdaily-20″ width=”79″] [easyazon_image align=”none” height=”110″ identifier=”1162872152″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/51JS2BU2BUxGL.SL110.jpg” tag=”dailyartdaily-20″ width=”73″] [easyazon_image align=”none” height=”110″ identifier=”0486234118″ locale=”US” src=”https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/61hNITwTlWL.SL110.jpg” tag=”dailyartdaily-20″ width=”71″]

Recommended

Art Forms

The Best Street Art in Athens, Greece

Athens is a strange city. On the one hand, you can see the monuments and relics of Ancient Greece that stand haughtily and imposingly. On the other...

Errika Gerakiti 8 May 2023

Ancient Greece

Alexander the Great and His Mermaid Sister in Greek Folklore

There is no need for a long introduction to Alexander the Great’s place in history; he is one of the most famous military leaders and he has...

Errika Gerakiti 29 March 2023

Medieval Art

Holy Week in Art: Easter Explained in Paintings

To celebrate the Christian festival of Easter, here is the story of Holy Week and Easter explained in paintings. Palm Sunday Stained glass...

Isla Phillips-Ewen 6 April 2023

Ancient Rome

Khaled al-Asaad — The Hero of Palmyra

Five years ago on August 18, 2015, the world-renowned Palmyran expert Khaled al-Asaad was brutally murdered by the Islamic State (ISIS) after weeks...

Maya M. Tola 18 August 2020