In her writings about the Goetheanum windows, Asya Turgeneva recounts the corrections and comments Rudolf Steiner made regarding her exploration of hatching on paper and in glass. “The intellect is a vicious dog in the realm of art. Yes, you must have had a thought, an idea. But then you must leave it behind, forget it, and work solely from feeling.” This is how she recalls Steiner’s words, and she continues: “You must never know in advance what the finished picture or composition will look like.” And: “It is only in your mind that you are sentimental; the heart already knows what is right.”

Asya writes that she was at a loss in the face of such words, but she tried to listen inwardly. Her workshop reports reveal how overwhelmed she felt. Rudolf Frieling, co-founder of the Christian Community, also describes how it weighed on his soul that he was not sufficiently prepared for the founding of this new religious community. In the historical chronicles, deeds are celebrated with no mention of the questioning, self-doubt, and possible despair that accompanied them. The fact that such things were also experienced by these historical figures is encouraging when we find ourselves at a loss today.

Translation Laura Liska
Image Assja Turgenjewa (1890–1966)