The Archetypal Human-Animal

Rudolf Steiner’s watercolour pain4ng ‘The Archetypal Human-Animal’ presents us with the enigma4c image of a strangecreature apparently swimming in water. It has a human profile,showing a clearly outlined nose and slightly-opened mouth,with a mysterious eye, almost concealed in its greenish hair. Ithas appendages similar to hands and feet, and dark-blue plantlikeforms float about in the water beneath the creature’s brightred and yellow body. Only the 4tle provides us with a clue to itsmeaning: it is an ‘archetypal human-animal’ form. But even thisis enigma4c. What is this strange, unusual creature – thisarchetypal human-animal? We are presented with a perplexingimage and a puzzling descrip4on.In this original work, illustrated throughout with full-colourpain4ngs and images – many by the author herself – AngelaLord takes us on a journey of discovery to realizing the meaningof Rudolf Steiner’s pain4ng. From Goethe’s theory ofmetamorphosis in nature, we are introduced to Steiner’s ideasof human evolu4on, from the primal beginnings of thearchetypal human-animal on ‘Ancient Moon’. Lord recountsmyths and legends from many cultures that tell of humananimalforms, and reflects on the meaning of the fish inChris4anity. She takes us through a series of ‘colour sequences’for repain4ng Steiner’s human-animal mo4f, and includesappendices that summarize evolu4onary phases of the earthand humanity from a spiritual-scien4fic perspec4ve.The Archetypal Human-Animal is both a valuable workbook forpainters and a fascina4ng insight into hidden aspects of humanevolu4on.