Call for papers:

The Initiated Artist. Methodological Introduction into Western Esotericism
in Art, 18th-20th Centuries

SUN Publishers in Amsterdam has taken the initiative to publish a book on
Western esotericism in art between circa 1800 and 1940. The publication
aims to provide an introduction to this new field of study within art
history. Scholars researching the relationship between art and Western
esotericism are invited to submit paper proposals that fit into the
conceptual frame outlined below. Additionally, museums are invited to
participate in an international exhibition on the subject.

Methodological basis: Western esotericism

Within Religious Studies the modern term „Western esotericism“ is used as
a general label for a great variety of religious currents and trends in
Western culture since Late Antiquity. These currents are characterized by
their belief that true knowledge of the divine (theosophia), the world,
and man can only be attained by means of personal spiritual experience or
inner enlightenment (gnosis).

After the Reformation, the occult sciences (magic, astrology, alchemy) and
Kabbalah gave rise to such movements as Theosophy, Rosicrucianism and
Freemasonry. The new structures of culture and society originating in the
scientific revolution of the 17th century and the Enlightenment of the
18th have thoroughly reshaped Western esotericism. The modern revival of
esotericism extends from Romantic Naturphilosophie around 1800 to 19th
century occultism involving Swedenborgianism, Mesmerism, Spiritualism,
modern Theosophy, Anthroposophy, and (ceremonial) magic. These modern
esoteric currents are the result of processes of modernization (notably
the separation of church and state around 1850), secularization, and
disenchantment of the world. Its representatives sought to present their
esoteric perspectives as compatible with or superior to mainstream
science. All these movements were profoundly influenced by the belief in
progress, the discovery of non-European cultures and the emergence of
various popular conceptions of psychology and psychotherapy. Modern
society has seen a proliferation of esoteric fraternities and
organizations, up to the New Age movement and other diffuse „cultic
milieus“ of today. The most comprehensive, scholarly and up-to-date
standard work on the subject is: W.J. Hanegraaff (ed.), Dictionary of
Gnosis & Western Esotericism, Leiden 2006. The editors recommend this
dictionary as an academic frame of reference for the proposed publication.

Western esotericism as a new discipline

Within academia it is increasingly acknowledged that Western esotericism
has exerted a profound influence on the development of Western religion
and science, culture and literature, politics and society. Seminal for the
development of Western esotericism as an individual academic discipline
was the institution of the Chaire d“ histoire des courants ésotériques et
mystiques dans l“Europe moderne et contemporaine at the Sorbonne
University in Paris in the 1960s. Since then, several chairs for the study
of Western esotericism and individual esoteric currents have been founded
at universities in Sheffield (UK), Brussels (Belgium), Amsterdam and
Leiden (the Netherlands). The Chair for the History of Hermetic Philosophy
and Related Currents at the University of Amsterdam now offers a complete
BA and MA education program on Western esotericism. Other numerous
universities, academic research centres, and members of professional
organisations (such as ASE and ESSWE) as well as independent scholars,
conduct research into this subject from Religious, Cultural and Social
Studies. While within Art History no clear distinction is made between
terms such as „occult“, „esoteric“, „spiritual“ and „mystical“,
developments within Religious Studies and the study of Western esotericism
have resulted in a better definition of esoteric currents and relevant
terminology. The word „esoteric“ is clearly defined in either a
typological way - in the sense of initiated or secret - or as a historical
definition of a tradition in religious and philosophical thought. Currents
are equally well-defined within the tradition of Western esotericism, by
focussing on the essential characteristics of a current, and its
indebtedness to and its deviations from the tradition.

Necessary change of paradigms in art history

The study of esotericism in general uses the same methodology as the Study
of Religions, such as Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism, as most
Western esoteric currents include a religious element. Empirical data such
as texts, ritual activities, the application of mythological and symbolic
concepts, the use of religious objects and the production of works of art
are analyzed with research tools common to various disciplines within the
Humanities, including history, anthropology, sociology, literary
criticism, gender studies and psychology. Especially the Social Sciences
have developed important tools for understanding how social formations and
network relations are created within religious and esoteric currents, and
how they are preserved or changed with the passage of time.

Art History however, and notably modern Art History, has not yet developed
a methodology by which esoteric symbolism or iconography of art,
architecture, applied arts and design can be identified and analyzed. This
is due to several reasons. Iconographic methodology within art history
still is firmly rooted in Christian tradition. Knowledge of a broader
spectrum of symbolic meanings, especially esoteric, is virtually absent.
Also, while it is widely accepted that world religions like Christianity,
Islam, Hinduism and Judaism have profoundly influenced art, art historians
have only just begun to realize that esotericism has influenced many of
our most celebrated artists in the same way. Most art historians are
unaware of the research that has been devoted to the subject within
Religious Studies in recent years, and hence are unable to recognize
related symbolism in a work of art or an architectural design. Moreover,
only recently art historians have developed awareness that art is not only
a product that can be viewed autonomously (as a work in its own right,
with its own specific characteristics and merits), but that it is also a
product of social dynamism - within society itself or, in a narrower frame
setting, within artistic circles. Study of the social network of an
artist, and his or her membership of an esoteric organization, has
therefore not been acknowledged as a factor of importance in the creation
of a work of art or design, and consequently relevant to the
interpretation of its meaning and orientation.

Until now the study of esotericism and the study of art have developed
along parallel lines, without significant interdisciplinary research. This
is remarkable, as most esoteric currents and esotericists have made use of
a rich visual language and symbolism, because esoteric „knowledge“ is
thought to transcend rationality and discursive language. Thus Western
esoteric currents have not remained limited to the theoretical, the
domains of religion and philosophy, but have frequently overlapped with
material culture, the visual arts, music, and literature. This
interrelationship was until very recently insufficiently acknowledged by
art historians. However, recent interdisciplinary research, which has
integrated the traditional methodology of art history with that used by
scholars with Religious Studies, has resulted in new approaches and
methods by which esoteric elements in art can be identified and analyzed.

Focus on art from 1850 until ca. 1940

From 1800, Western esotericism takes on many new faces, as described
above. Within art itself other developments have been instrumental in
blurring the boundaries between esoteric currents even further. Most
important has been the development of the Romantic idea of the individual
genius. Towards the end of the 19th century, artists viewed themselves as
initiates and as visionaries of a new era, in which art would play an
essential role in society by creating a Universal Brotherhood.
Unfortunately, there are no data available on the exact number of artists
which belonged to an esoteric organization, to quantify their influence on
modern art. Although the circles of artists, in which esotericism became
the leading source of inspiration, may have been small - compared to the
total quantity of artists active in society - they have developed into the
forerunners (avant-garde) of all major modern currents in art: Symbolism,
Expressionism, Futurism, abstract art, etcetera.

Whereas the influence of freemasonry on art is a virtually absent theme in
modern art historical studies, esotericism as such has already been
subject of study in connection with art historical currents of the fin de
siècle. Pioneering work was done by e.g. Sixten Ringbom, in his book The
sounding cosmos. A study in the spiritualism of Kandinsky and abstract
painting (1970) and Robert Pincus Witten, in his dissertation Occult
Symbolism in France: Joséphin Péladan and the Salons de la Rose et Croix
(1976). The theme has also been subject of large exhibitions - that
usually function as a filter of current research - as part of a larger
theme, such as Towards a new art. Painting 1910-1920 (Londen 1980), Der
Hang zum Gesamtkunstwerk (Zürich 1983), Vom Klang der Bilder. Die Musik in
der Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts (Stuttgart 1985), Vergangene Zukunft.
Tschechische Moderne 1890-1918 (Kassel 1994) and Lost Paradise. Symbolist
Europe (Montréal 1995). Other exhibitions focussed on this theme
exclusively, such as Kunstenaren der Idee. Symbolistische tendenzen in
Nederland ca. 1880-1930 (The Hague 1978), Zeichen des Glaubens. Geist der
Avant-Garde: Religiöse Tendenzen in der Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts
(Stuttgart 1980), The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890-1985 (Los
Angeles/Chicago/The Hague 1986-1987), Okkultismus und Avantgarde. Von
Munch bis Mondrian 1900-1915 (Frankfurt am Main 1995), Im Reich der
Phantome. Fotografie des Unsichtbaren (Mönchengladbach 1997) and Das
Bauhaus und die Esoterik (Hamm/Würzburg 2005).

All research in this field, on which exhibitions and publications until
this day are based, has used esoteric terms and categories
indiscriminately. Influences of e.g. Theosophy, Spiritualism or
Anthroposophy are mentioned readily, but analyses have not been based on
any coherent discrimination between the essential characteristics of an
esoteric current, by which e.g. „theosophical art“ can be pictorially or
structurally distinguished from „anthroposophical art“, let alone from
„masonic art“ or „occultist magical art“. Esoteric influences have
generally been viewed from within the traditional categories in art
history, generally based on iconographical characteristics. Thus, most of
the modern „esoteric art“ has been categorized as an integral part of
Symbolism or early abstract art. However, recent research has shown that
e.g. figurative art can be just as esoteric in essence as Symbolist or
early abstract art. Also, the traditional categorization of currents in
art in itself has proven to be superficial and faulty. Any „established“
current in art in fact has many faces and many inspirational sources, due
to the individuality of an artist, and boundaries often are arbitrary, as
they are based on superficial, mostly visual elements and interpretations.

There are even more reasons why art history of the 19th and early 20th
century is in need of fundamental revision. For instance, during the last
decennia more knowledge has been gathered on the art of the 19th and early
20th centuries. A host of documentary evidence of the relationship of
artists with esoteric societies and esoteric thought has surfaced, as the
historical archives and membership records of esoteric currents are being
made more and more accessible to researchers. The results of recent
research have not yet found their way to mainstream exhibitions,
publications or journals on art.

The larger part of previous research (and exhibitions) has focussed on
two-dimensional art, whereas esotericism has also shaped and fundamentally
changed applied arts and architecture. Historical evidence shows that
modern artists did not restrict themselves to one discipline. The
historical truth is quite the opposite: most of them shifted their
attention easily between several disciplines. As visionaries of a total
aesthetic makeover of society they were creators of true Gesamtkunst.

Methodological foundations

Future research on esotericism in art should use the now established
categorization of esoteric currents and terminology, as defined in W.J.
Hanegraaff (ed.), Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism, Leiden 2006.
This will lead to a redefinition of the already known inspirational
sources of artists, the identification of new sources, the introduction of
new artists, and the identification of important networks. It will lead to
a fundamental restructuring of art history, to clearer insight into the
real motives of artists and possibly to the identification of a new and
distinct current in modern art history.

Handbook on esotericism in art, 18th-20th centuries

The proposed „handbook“ on esotericism in art before c. 1940 will serve as
an educational introduction in the new field of study. It will comprise a
systematic overview of esoteric currents and relevant terminology, an
analysis of their essential characteristics and their implications for the
visual language of art, applied arts and architecture in this period of
art history. Thus, it will lay the solid scientific foundations for
further specialization in this area of research. Because of its
introductory character, the book will focus on the main esoteric currents
within the stated period that have proven to be of major influence on
(modern) art. In more or less chronological order of appearance:

Alchemy Esoteric aspects of Romanticism Freemasonry Christian
esotericism Spiritualism Rosicrucianism Occultism Theosophy Anthroposophy

The publication will also include a glossary of relevant terminology.

Call for papers

Scholars currently involved in research into the relationship between art
and Western esotericism are invited to submit paper proposals (max. 400
words), a short resume and list of relevant publications to the editors
before 31 May 2007.

Prerequisites of papers:

As the publication aims to provide an introduction into a relatively new
field of study within art history, papers proposed should provide a basic
introduction into the relationship between art and individual esoteric
currents, their iconography, symbolism and/or ritual or magical practice,
and should be aimed at a wide audience. Papers proposed should be based on
recent scholarly research and the current academic discourse on history of
Western esotericism. Papers proposed should be interdisciplinary in
character. They should preferably focus on and/or include methodological
aspects of research in this field, bearing in mind the objective of this
book. Papers may discuss all aspects of architecture, visual arts, applied
arts and interior design, decorative and ritual objects. There is no
restriction to type or discipline of art. Papers may reflect the
importance of social and esoteric networks to the creation of works of
art, the importance of women within esoteric circles and modern art,
developments of new media such as photography and film, and other relevant
topics. Although above the currents are mentioned in their chronological
order, it can also be relevant to discuss the influence of one current on
a later time period(s), e.g. Masonic influences in de fin-de-siècle or
early 20th century or Spiritualism in Futurism (as long as anachronisms
are avoided).

All articles will be peer reviewed. The review committee consists of
academic experts on relevant fields of study, such as Western esotericism,
visual culture and art. If the proposal is accepted, the author will be
required to submit the finished article before 15 December 2007. The
finished article may not exceed c. 15 pages (6000 words). At this stage of
the preparations of the publication, the editors are applying for funding
to various cultural funds. Provided the applications are successful, the
editors aim to make a modest fee available to all authors, whose papers
have been accepted. More information will be made available at a later stage.

Invitation for participating museums

Museum directors and curators, who are interested in hosting an
international exhibition and interdisciplinary conference on the subject
of „The Initiated Artist. The History of Art and Western Esotericism“ to
coincide with or follow the publication of the book, are invited to
contact the editors. Dutch experts are offering a groundbreaking
exhibition concept, aimed at a wide audience, and are inviting
international partners to participate in a travelling exhibition. More
detailed information will be made available at request.

Publisher/Editors

For information on Sun Publishers, see: http://www.uitgeverijboom.nl. The
book will be compiled and edited by:

- Mrs. Dr. Marty Bax, PhD, art historian and specialist in esoteric
currents in art between 1850 and 1940, notably theosophy and
anthroposophy. Member of ESSWE, see:
http://www.esswe.org/member_detail.php?member_id=215&ref=10 - Mrs. Drs.
Andréa Kroon, MA / PhD student (University of Leiden), art historian and
specialist in the material culture of freemasonry in the 18th-20th
century. Member of ESSWE, see:
http://www.esswe.org/member_detail.php?member_id=64&ref.

Contact

For more information, please contact the editors Dr. Marty Bax and Drs.
Andréa Kroon at: esotericartbookyahoo.com.