«One must be able to think in colors and forms as one is able to think in terms and thoughts.»
Rudolph Steiner
Rudolf Steiner's Artistic Work
Sculptures
For his inspirations on sculptures, Rudolf Steiner laid his focus on the elementary level of things. A plastic form should result from the surface’s tension, not from a linear construct.
For his sketches on the pedestals and column capitals for the Goetheanum, Rudolf Steiner followed the concept of seven steps. The motives on the pedestals represent the growth gests of plants in general. Herewith, Rudolf Steiner correlates to Goethe’s concept of the primordial plant and the metamorphosis of the plant.
Similarly, the motives on the capital illustrate the acting of planets. They conceptionally connect to the architecture.
The ‘Representative of Humanity’
Rudolf Steiner dedicated most of his energy to a sculpture which stood in the center of the first Goetheanum’s small hall. In this work we see a human figure standing between an airborne being which reaches towards the sky and another, rather hiding, almost imploding one which crawls through the dirt.
One of the many models existing to this sculpture (figure on the right) has been used as a template for a wooden, eight meter tall sculpture. Interpreted, the scene illustrates satanic forces which can drag the human being to a destructive extreme. The forces of Christ instead give constancy, which brings balance. In the upper left corner floats a winged head, Steiner meant it to be the humour of the world.
Some artists who played an important role in the creation of this sculpture are
- Edith Maryon
- Oswald Dubach and
- Karl Kemperer.