Book Description
Indeed, Rudolf Steiner was so deeply impressed by Goethe’s fairy tale, that he used it as the model for his own first mystery drama, The Portal of Initiation. It is said that, prior to its first performance, he told friends, "I know how long and deeply you have loved Goethe’s fairy tale, and today I am happy to tell you that you will see it performed on stage."
The twelve paintings in this book represent the soul experiences of the "Youth" in the fairy tale. These images are the fruit of an intense collaboration between the artist Hermann Linde and Rudolf Steiner, who commissioned the work. Steiner visited Linde’s studio every day and gave him detailed indications for the treatment of the various motifs. The result is this beautifully illustrated, full-color book.
This is a fairy tale for meditation—and for building bridges of the soul and spirit.
About the author
Hermann Linde (1863–1923) was a classically trained painter. As early as 1904, he developed a relationship with Rudolf Steiner, who encouraged him to create a form of artistic expression for those on a spiritual path. Inspired by his experiences with Steiner’s ideas, Linde dedicated his artistic work to Anthroposophy. He participated in the creation of the stage sets for Steiner’s first mystery drama, The Portal of Initiation, performed in Munich in 1910. Later, during World War I, he helped paint the cupolas in the First Goetheanum.
