Art in the Light of Mystery Wisdom

8 Lectures given by Rudolf Steiner between December 1914 and March 1923

In the ancient holy Mysteries, science, art and religion formed a unity that offered nourishment to the various cultural periods of humanity's past. Today these aspects of life can again be united through spiritual knowledge. However, as Marie Steiner indicates in her Introduction to these lectures, science, art and religion all require new understanding and rejuvenation. Such a renewal in the case of art cannot be brought about through compromising with its decadent manifestations, but only by returning to the spiritual founts of life. In Marie Steiner's "The remedy lies in unlocking the wisdom of the Mysteries and presenting it to humanity in a form adapted to contemporary needs". In these wide-ranging lectures, Rudolf Steiner offers spiritual insight for the modern day into the world of the arts. His themes include the relation of art to technology, the moral experience of the worlds of color and music, and the legendary Norwegian Dream Song of Olaf Asteson. He also speaks of the relationship between the arts of architecture, sculpture, painting, music, poetry and eurythmy and the various aspects of the human being.

Translated by Johanna Collis