Alchemy, astrology, demonology, spiritualism, theosophy, shamanism... disciplines that do not usually appear in conventional study programs and that make up a set of knowledge known as "occult sciences". They were forms of "esoteric" knowledge (that is, "reserved" or "occult"), as opposed to "exoteric" (that which is more common or apt to be disclosed). Already in Aristotle's time, a privileged few acceded to a "secret doctrine" that -as Sarane Alexandrian has explained, in History of Occult Philosophy- "intended to make available to its adherents superior means of governing beings and understanding the things".
Some feared the powers that these heterogeneous sciences summoned. Others accused its practitioners of mere quackery. Be that as it may, they were often persecuted and left out of canon. However, "they found in the visual arts the ideal terrain to transmit their encrypted messages", as Guillermo Solana, curator of The Hidden in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collections and artistic director of the museum of the same name, points out. This exhibition, which can be seen from July 1 to September 24, invites us to reconsider various works in its catalogue, based on hidden knowledge, which throw us unsuspected clues about possible readings and interpretations.
The occult sciences promoted access to knowledge at various levels. The first, recovered a hermetic tradition that was transmitted only to a few initiates. The second, inquired into the correspondences between macrocosm and microcosm. The last one advocated the existence of hidden gifts in human beings that served to lead towards a spiritual metamorphosis. The symbol, the allegory, the cryptogram, gave an unknown character to occultism. But the veil of mystery falls suddenly when we finally crack the code, as suggested by this tour of 59 works from the Thyssen-Bornemisza collections (including works from the museum and from the private collections of various family members).
The legacy of alchemy, for example, reappeared strongly during surrealism. Max Ernst, in the oil painting Solitary Tree and Conjugal Trees (1940), represents the “chemical wedding between mercury and sulphur, the masculine and the feminine in alchemical transmutation”, as Solana points out; while Lucio Fontana, in Venice was all gold (1961), represents the capital of Veneto wrapped in this precious metal that symbolizes the achievement of the highest alchemical ideals.
The traces of astrology can be traced in countless images in the West, from the Renaissance to the 20th century. They appear in the Risen Christ (c. 1490) by Bramantino, which, surprisingly, is shown under the light of the moon, which is, according to Saint Augustine, the great symbol of the resurrection. Centuries later, Joan Miró, in works such as The Lightning Bird Blinded by the Moonfire (1955), continues to paint "obsessively moons and suns, stars and constellations," Solana explains.
The devil takes many forms throughout the history of art. Even in the modern era, he wanders through George Grosz's Metropolis (1916-1917), which looks like a motley hell – “a kind of zombie apocalypse”, Solana tells us – worthy of a work by Hieronymus Bosch. The spiritualist societies in vogue during the 19th century influenced Edvard Munch, who filled his works with ghostly apparitions, as in Sunset (1888).
The legacy of the Theosophical Society, which blends the occult heritage of East and West, inspires the pioneers of abstract art. František Kupka, author of Location of graphic mobiles I (1912-1913), works as a medium, an activity that he reconciles with his anarchist convictions. Kandinsky is based on theosophy to create an art that investigates beyond reality, in search of its ultimate essence, as we see in Painting with three spots, no. 196 (1914). The artists discover the magical character of primitive cultures, from the African masks that fascinated Picasso to the sand paintings of the Navajo Indians that influenced Pollock.
The surrealists continue in this exploration, through dreams and clairvoyance. The painting reveals a hidden soul, often disturbing, which sometimes prefigures tragic endings. This is the case in the Portrait of Dr. Haustein (1928), by Christian Schad, over which the shadow of her lover looms (when the wife discovers her existence, she will decide to take her own life). Francis Bacon, for his part, paints another portrait of his lover George Dyer in a mirror (1968). The reflected image shows her face partially detached from her; perhaps an unconscious anticipation of an untimely death from an overdose.
The exhibition also offers related activities, such as a virtual tour; the course for the general public entitled Walks through the collection. Art and Esotericism, which, from September 15 to October 15, is taught by Professor Irene López Arnáiz in Microsoft Teams; or the guided tour that is offered on Saturdays and Sundays until September 24 (with the exception of August 19). There are also additional activities, specifically aimed at specialists and friends of the museum.
Likewise, the website www.museothyssen.org has additional resources, such as a podcast by Guillermo Solana and Ángela Villaverde, from the museum's publications department, which takes us into the link between art and the occult sciences. Comedian Luis Piedrahita does something similar, in a more informative tone, in an interesting video. And the writer Javier Sierra invites us to discover a possible birth chart in a Renaissance painting in a video that is part of the program Other Worlds, by
This excellent exhibition confirms the revealing nature of art, capable of acting as a medium for worlds beyond our everyday reality. Alexandrian affirms that occultism goes into action whenever a problem arises before which pragmatic thought is powerless. The great artistic works that can be seen in the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza do more than just provide us with a moving aesthetic experience; they also conjure spirits, perform magical acts and allow us to travel to other worlds that –as Paul Éluard said– are in this one.
