Péladan’s Salon de la Rose+Croix comes to Manhattan!

More of a public service announcement than a true Blog, really, but too important not to bring to your attention.

From Friday, June 30 to Wednesday, October 4, 2017, there will be an exhibition of works from the six Salons de Rose+Croix organized in Paris by Joséphin Péladan during the 1890s, which focused on art and music of the time, particularly of the Symbolist nature, and which grew out of his Ordre Mystique de la Rose+Croix, a quasi-religious  or even occult movement he had founded.

Some 40 works from the original exhibitions will be featured, as well as background music by Erik Satie and other members of the movement. From what I can tell, the galleries will be set up with period furniture and trimmings to evoke the atmosphere of one of the fin-de-siècle Salons.

In Europe, the 1880s and 1890 saw a reaction against the materialism of the Age of Enlightenment, and a search for the numinous and spiritual. Many Orders appeared at this time, from the Golden Dawn to Martinism, and the OKRC. Papus was producing books, and Paris was one of the centers, long with London, of this burgeoning set of movements.

Péladan’s Salons featured Symbolist art from across Europe, and his cult status assured them of success. He was determined to reintroduce symbolism, religion and mysticism back into art, to counter the materialistic currents which had overtaken the Church and poured scorn on the invisible world.

Put it on your calendar; book a ticket online with the Guggenheim Museum, walk, drive or fly to attend. Oh, and if you have a day to spend, couple it with a visit to the Nicholas Roerich Museum which is not too far away.

This won’t happen again in our lifetime, folks!

See https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/mystical-symbolism-the-salon-de-la-rosecroix-in-paris-1892-1897 for details.

Click on the bar to hear the music (played by Piers Vaughan). Note the score is dedicated to Sar Peladan as Grand Master of the Order.