The Perennial Question
Traditionalism, Universality & Its Discontents
Traditionalism and perennialism claimed that the world’s religions preserve a primordial metaphysical truth. This dossier examines their luminaries, influence and enduring insights—alongside the controversies, exclusions and political entanglements that shadow the perennialist vision.
Contents
Gustave Moreau’s “Archeological Allegory”
Against the supposed claims of such work to historical authenticity, Moreau formulated a principle of "archeological allegory," which entailed the use of archeological source material in highly eccentric, deliberately anachronistic ways in his compositions.
Essay ii
Mundus Imaginalis, or the Imaginary and the Imaginal
A seminal text introducing the terms <strong><em>Imaginal</em></strong> and Mundus Imaginalis, and their distinction from the merely imaginary or utopian.
Essay iii
Peresvet, Oslyabya, Divine Gloom
The key to understanding the symbolism of the painting's composition is found in the interpretations of the "Mystical Theology" of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite. As you maybe aware, the most Luminous Darkness, of the Divine Gloom is a theological term from the Orthodox Apophatic theology, which is based on the" negative" way of perception on it's way of the search for the Ultimate truth through the denial of everything that which is not It.
Interview iv
Remaking Cultural Sense – The Symbolist World of Peladan
Symbolism is a forerunner of contemporary visionary art. It prefigures the transformation from classical and traditional premodern forms into a more dynamic, idiosyncratic personal vision. It is with great pleasure that Era Of Visions can share this original interview with Sasha Chaitow, who generously shared her expertise. Sasha is a contemporary scholar of the Symbolist Movement, who has focussed her research on the enigmatic, influential figure known as Peladan.
Essay v
The Kafno Ikon – An Exploration
Biblical and Historical Explanation for the First Original Monumental KAFNO Icon painted by Tanya Maria Semaan who generously provided this exegesis of the Ikon.
Interview vi
The Subcreation Theory of J.R.R. Tolkien
A discussion delving deep into J.R.R Tolkiens' personal philosophy of the creative process- 'subcreation' and how it was informed by his spirituality.
Essay vii
The Universality of Sacred Art
It must be borne in mind that a sacred symbol is not merely a conventional sign; it manifests its archetype by virtue of a certain ontological law. As Ananda Coomaraswamy has observed, a sacred symbol is, in a sense, that which it expresses. For this very reason, traditional symbolism is never devoid of beauty.
Essay viii
Thomas Cole’s The Course Of Empire (in his own words)
Thomas Cole’s importance and influence as an American artist exploded during the mid‐1830s and his career flourished in the early 1840s. He deeply influenced his immediate peers and successive generations of American artists. He transformed the landscape genre from a reflective art to a medium of expressing historical, social, and political theory.
Essay ix
Yearning, Sorrow & Desire – The Capriccio of Monsu Desiderio and Descendents
Ruins hold an enigma for artists concerned with the psycho-archeology of culture. Capricci is a yearning for the archaic, it is also a kind of solace for the broken-hearted who feel they are born to times where the ruins are not physical, but symbolic.
EssayTraditionalism, Universality & Its Discontents
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Contributors
Scott Allan
WriterHenry Corbin
Henry Corbin (14 April 1903 – 7 October 1978)[1] was a philosopher, theologian, Iranologist and professor of Islamic Studies at the École…
WriterOleg Korolev
Oleg Korolev was born in 1968 and began painting at an early age. He entered The Studio of Classical Drawing in Vilnius…
WriterSasha Chaitow
Sasha Chaitow PhD is a British-Greek cultural historian, a lecturer, author, and artist. Her published research papers cover topics in the history…
WriterTanya Maria Semaan
Tanya Maria Semaan is an artist and an art teacher from Lebanon, Middle East. She resorted to drawing and painting ever since…
WriterDaniel Mirante
Daniel Mirante is a painter, historian, scholar, teacher and writer.
WriterTitus Burckhardt
Titus Burckhardt was a Swiss traditionalist metaphysician, a leading member of the Perennialist or Traditionalist School. He was the author of numerous…