Rudolf Steiner’s intuitive artistic knowledge enabled him to use
color in a unique way by giving expression to the individual nature
of each. Together with his many lectures on art, Steiner’s paintings
provide artists with fresh ways of understanding color, allowing
an entirely new palette for creativity and aesthetics.
In 1924, Steiner painted a watercolor image of the Madonna and
child, giving it the title New Life. Through his depiction of Mary,
mother of the divine child, his painting draws us into the feminine
expression of spirituality. In this highly illustrated, full-color book,
Angela Lord studies this feminine principle, beginning with the very
earliest stages of human evolution—the “Fall” from paradise and
the prehistoric periods of Lemuria and Atlantis. From the mysteries
of Egypt and Greece to the development of Christian art, she offers
insights into the myths and legends of female deities and goddesses.
According to Rudolf Steiner, humanity was entering a decadent
phase of development at the time of Jesus’ birth. Small groups of
initiated individuals, however, were preparing for a sacred birth and
the descent of a heavenly being into earthly existence. The God of
the Old Testament would be revealed “in flesh,” born to a virgin mother. 
In the second part, the author takes us on a journey through two
thousand years of Christian art, including iconography, the Middle
Ages, and the Renaissance. We see how artistic images of Mary
and her Child have changed over time, why those variations have
occurred, and how they reflect the changing consciousness of humanity. 
Finally, the New Life painting is considered from the perspective of
interactive processes of color and composition, illustrated by a series
of artistic color sequences.