Arnauld Pierre's 'Maternités cosmiques' Links Science and Esotericism in Art
Arnauld Pierre's book 'Maternités cosmiques' offers a new analysis of late 19th- and early 20th-century painting iconography, revealing the influence of popularized science reinterpreted through esoteric beliefs. The study traces these ideas into contemporary cinema, showing symbolic roots in early 20th-century scientific myths. Figures like Flammarion and Haeckel developed theories of stellar metempsychosis and recapitulation based on Darwinian evolution. Artists such as Kupka, Redon, Ozenfant, Dix, and Sérusier engaged with theosophical and cosmogonic sects. Pierre connects these threads from Paul Sérusier's 'Tétraèdres' to Stanley Kubrick's '2001: A Space Odyssey', filling a gap in art and intellectual history.
Key facts
- Arnauld Pierre authored 'Maternités cosmiques'.
- The book analyzes late 19th- and early 20th-century painting iconography.
- It highlights the role of popularized science and esoteric beliefs.
- The study extends to contemporary cinema, including '2001: A Space Odyssey'.
- Flammarion and Haeckel are cited for theories of stellar metempsychosis.
- Darwinian evolution influenced the recapitulation theory in human fetuses.
- Artists like Kupka, Redon, Ozenfant, Dix, and Sérusier are discussed.
- The work connects Sérusier's 'Tétraèdres' to Kubrick's film.
Entities
Artists
- Arnauld Pierre
- Kupka
- Redon
- Ozenfant
- Dix
- Paul Sérusier
- Stanley Kubrick
Sources
- artpress —