The Rudolf Steiner Archive

76. About the Construction Photos

[ 1 ] I would like to take the liberty, my dear friends, of saying a few words to you today about our building in Dornach. Before I begin my introduction, however, I would like to address a few points that may help clear up misunderstandings—misunderstandings that are once again linked to this very building in Dornach, and which, as is often the case, tend to arise in connection with so many aspects of our movement. It is not the case that the building, as it is now to rise on this Swiss hill in Dornach, existed there from the very beginning. Most of you may know that the original plan was for the building to be erected in Munich, and a plot of land had indeed already been purchased there. The plan was for the building there in Munich to be surrounded by a number of houses to be occupied by members who simply wanted to live there, so that at the time it was actually only necessary to construct a building with interior architecture. The exterior was to be as unassuming as possible, since it was not intended to make an outward impression—it was to be framed by other houses—and what we had in mind was an architectural expression of our aspirations through the interior design.

[ 2 ] As I said, the building wasn’t constructed with the specific intention of creating a space for our movement; rather, it actually arose from the idea of friends in Munich who longed to have a venue befitting our cause, since the spaces available there had become far too small—especially since Munich had emerged as the city where we performed our Mystery Plays.

[ 3 ] The entire concept behind the building arose from this idea—which, at first, was essentially to create a branch location in Munich. Then it became clear that, while we had initially considered all the ideas appropriate to our cause, we hadn’t [anticipated] the prejudice of the outside artistic community—and as you know, construction plans for such buildings must be submitted to all sorts of authorities. We hadn’t even had to deal with the police or other authorities yet; we first had to deal with the bodies established by the Munich art community, who—as you can imagine—naturally weren’t particularly fond of our architectural concept. They didn’t understand it, of course, and they raised all sorts of objections at first. We would actually have had to wait an eternity—three years—if we were to have gotten around to it. Well, let me make a point. [...] It was impossible to figure out what these gentlemen actually wanted; we would have had to keep drawing up new plans—it was impossible to make headway.

[ 4 ] I would just like people to give more thought to the kinds of things that our culture today struggles to come to terms with, even though they contain the most important impulses for the future.

[ 5 ] [Gap in the transcript] had been made available by the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland, and so the construction can now be carried out in Dornach near Basel. The canton of Solothurn really does have a characteristic, dear friends, that, to my knowledge, other regions of Europe no longer have—namely, at that time, it had no building code (though it seems this will soon change). That means a great deal. It was very good; one could build there however one wanted, and that [illegible word in the transcript].

[ 6 ] But of course, you must be familiar with this brief overview of the historical development of the building here if you ever want to properly assess the building as it is intended to stand. Originally, only the interior design was planned. Then [in Dornach] they wanted to get the project off the ground fairly quickly, and the plans had to be revised. The architectural design, which had initially been intended for Munich, had to be adapted for this building so that it could stand freely on a hill, visible from all sides.

[ 7 ] That means, of course—otherwise it would have taken much longer to rethink what [had emerged] from our movement’s first attempt to erect a building—it would mean [illegible word in the stenographic record] first understanding that our building is only a beginning, that it is therefore only the first step toward doing something like this. We who are engaged in this know just as well that [illegible words in the transcript] it is first and foremost necessary that, when new things seek to enter world culture, they enter it in an imperfect form. Of course, I could now give long lectures on everything that is wrong with the building. But that is not [what matters]; rather, what matters is that—just as with Greek architecture and Gothic architecture—this anthroposophically conceived architecture be introduced into the entire culture of humanity. After all, in the course of the coming times, further buildings—which, of course, will no longer be part of this culture—are to be erected, buildings that are designed in the spirit of this architectural concept. That is the main point: that in this Munich building, in this “Root Building,” one can see what is actually necessary for such buildings of the future. [Gap in the transcript]

[ 8 ] Based on this introduction to the history of art—which I cannot elaborate on further—I would now like to outline the architectural concept in a few words. You will see that this architectural concept differs from others in that it is much more concrete and not as abstract as other buildings. With other architectural concepts, you will have no choice but to recognize that you are dealing with an architectural concept and with a decorative secondary or ancillary concept. That is to say, it is based on an architecture [illegible words in the transcript]—yes, decorative secondary concepts. This abstract nature of a building is precisely what we should overcome. The building should be cast from a single stream of thought [illegible word in the transcript]; it should not, therefore, be conceived, but rather be observed—it should truly emerge from the spiritual world as a revelation; that is, it is not conceived, but observed. This naturally led to doing things quite differently afterward than is done with older, contemporary architectural concepts.

[ 9 ] First and foremost, it is important that you focus on the fundamental idea. This idea is that other forms of architecture are designed with walls in mind; such architecture—since it exists within a space—is conceived to have boundaries as a result. And it is the walls that create these boundaries. In conventional architecture, the walls are also shaped in such a way that they enclose and render the sensory world opaque. When one is inside the building, [as viewed from the outside, this manifests as] a section of space being enclosed. We have broken away from this concept. Our entire architecture is designed so that it is, I would say, spiritually transparent. One should be in the space and have the sensation that the forms comprising the walls visibly draw one in, that these forms transcend themselves, that they are such that one does not have the feeling that this is an enclosed space, but rather that everything extends out into the vastness. So, through the forms themselves, one should have walls that transcend their role as walls—walls that are spiritually transparent. This is the fundamental idea underlying all the forms that have been created.

[ 10 ] You have to view the form itself—and I’ll use a trivial comparison here, though I think it captures the point well—as something that isn’t there for its own sake, yet is entirely appropriate to the matter at hand. The form is there for what is to take place within it. What is performed, spoken, or heard—that is what should find its full expression within the forms. That is why the architectural concept is—if I may use a South German expression—that of a Gugelhupf, a cake mold. With cake pans, too, it is essential that the cake mold determines the shape. In the same way, the building is conceived as a cake mold. What’s inside—that’s what matters. Just as, when you have a cake pan, you don’t focus on the pan itself at first, but on the cake inside it.

[ 11 ] If you translate this into the spiritual realm, you arrive at the inner structure of the building. Now, when I worked this out as a visual concept, it resulted in roughly the following, briefly sketched out. First of all, when I look at the floor plan, the building consists of two partial circles. The other is an extension. These two partial circles stand on a concrete foundation. The entire building is oriented from west to east. Here, the two main rooms adjoin one another. This room is intended for holding gatherings, such as lectures and the like; [here] the architecture is adapted to this purpose. This is where the lectern would be placed for large gatherings, accommodating the audience in this room. Here, the two rooms are separated from one another by a curtain. The mystery plays will take place in this room. This room has its entrance here; that is, one enters from west to east.

[ 12 ] Here, there will be a passageway leading into the intermediate wing, and on each side there are seven columns. These seven columns have bases and capitals, which [gap in the shorthand notes]

[ 13 ] The columns are made of wood. In other words, there is a concrete foundation on which the wooden structure rises. These columns are carved from wood—massive pieces of wood—and are crowned at the top by an architrave, which is then connected internally, via a vault, to the domed roof.

[ 14 ] The form of the columns now offers something quite different from contemporary architecture. As you know, previous architecture featured the repetition of capital motifs. Here, there is no such repetition; instead, each column has its own unique capitals, so that the forms of the capitals are in a continuous process of evolution. The only thing that is ever the same—in relation to the building’s single axis of symmetry—is the right column with the left column, but no subsequent column is ever the same as the preceding one; rather, the motif of each column always evolves from the one before it. And with this structure, one witnesses this evolution—that is, a form of wooden architecture that actually lies at the boundary between sculpture and architecture and which, in a natural way, embodies the overall development of humanity.

[ 15 ] But there is nothing symbolic about it. Symbols are, as explicitly emphasized, [gap] Everything is real. What matters is that everything that is found is translated into a truly artistic form. And that is the remarkable thing about these columns—and it is repeated inside; there are six columns on each side, making twelve in total—the most important thing is this: the artwork lies in the entire evolution of these columns’ forms. So I ask you to bear this in mind: it is not the form that is the work of art, but rather the work of art comes into being as you yourself become part of it. You will be compelled to grasp the actual progression along the forms. If you try to take in the whole with your gaze, you will be compelled to let your gaze trace certain forms, to give your gaze certain movements. And as you undergo this evolution and development with your eyes—artistically interweaving the forms with the preceding ones, just as in a melody the form is present and a note is perceived in relation to the one that came before it—by experiencing the whole thing inwardly, you create for this [aspect of the structure] what constitutes artistic architecture. [You yourselves must] be the artistic light. Just as a musical work of art does not consist of trumpets and drumheads and so on, but actually builds itself up, so too must it be noted here that, in terms of architecture, the work of art actually comes into being in such a way that you yourself form it by generating the artistic form within it. And the formative forces in this image are entirely conditioned by the mysteries of the worlds.

[ 16 ] It's important to keep this in mind right from the start: This applies from top to bottom.

[ 17 ] If we then consider the concrete foundation, we will find that everything that has been brought out of the concrete according to the sketches or the architectural design is shaped in such a way that one can see: This is the foundation—it is already evident in the forms—this is the foundation. That which arises from the earth rises up in concrete. So one must develop the sense that rugged elemental beings growing out of the earth take shape, and these forms are such that they support the whole, but also place the whole in its proper place. That, then, is the foundation.

[ 18 ] Above these rise the columns, and above the columns arches the architrave, and above that the dome. [illegible words in the transcript] There, the two domes arch upward; they are actually joined together in a way that domes have never before been joined. Here is the gate; the domes are joined together here—this is particularly important because two domes interlocking in this way have never been built before. Even today, this was a technical feat that could only be achieved because, through our collaboration, we were able to translate the architectural concept into mechanical reality. All sorts of forces arose that had to be overcome. It was only because I was able to work with [illegible word in the transcript] that it was possible to solve this problem and join these two domes together.

[ 19 ] If you now consider the space inside—moving outward, from the outside to the inside—that lies between the columns, it is intended to be a window. So here, in the windows—which always consist of three windows and, in turn, have an axis of symmetry only toward the center—these windows here were, of course, only incorporated into the architectural concept on the way from Munich to Dornach.

[ 20 ] Since only interior design was planned, these windows were not necessary. Furthermore, the exterior had to correspond to the interior design with some form of decoration. But it was not decoration; rather, it had to be [artistically] integrated with the architectural concept, [endowing it with] an outward impact [gap in the transcript]

[ 21 ] These windows represent, so to speak, the second stage of the artistic creation in this building. If you recall what I just said—that everything carved in wood actually provides the foundation for the formation of a work of art [illegible passage in the transcript]—then you will find that the work of art is present on such a grand scale in the building in all that which has been carved.

[ 22 ] This is not the case with windows. There, too, something new was attempted: glass etching. These are not stained-glass windows as they have been made in the past, but rather plain, monochromatic glass surfaces where layers are scraped away from the glass with a stylus, so that the entire form of the image is etched into the glass. As a result, the glass pane in question is not a work of art—only when the sun shines through it. Thus, the idea is realized that the work of art emerges from what has been etched, illuminated by the sunlight passing through. Only then does the work of art come into being. The glass panes are tinted. And depicted there—once again depicted—is the entire mystery that takes shape in the universe: the dreaming human, the one still asleep, the waking human. One will be able to sense this. So that the artistic [gap in the stenographic record]

[ 23 ] This pertains to the spiritual level, which is meant to express what is just beginning to emerge in nature itself as soul. The glass pane, then, is not the work of art, but rather that which is brought into being by the sun’s rays.

[ 24 ] Because the colors are arranged in a certain way, they [appear] once again; this is where we find the evolution of color. By processing this spiritually, one creates a second stage.

[ 25 ] So, continuing this line of thought—I told you that the walls are being destroyed—in these stained-glass windows, what is there is being destroyed. One must actually experience this sensation in connection with the sunlight. The destruction of the walls is also carried out there. The pane blends with the sunlight.

[ 26 ] Then the two domes arch over the entire space. They are painted. The painting had to be designed without natural light in mind, since there is no exterior lighting. But it will have the advantage that, while one usually uses dome chandeliers [gap in the transcript]

[ 27 ] Very little will be outlined here [gap in the transcript]

[ 28 ] Here [in the dome painting], the physical element is expressed by being painted directly on the walls, though there is also a tendency for the wall not to function on its own as a wall, but rather for what is painted to be viewed directly only [illegible words in the shorthand], on the [illegible words in the shorthand] one must participate oneself with the [illegible words in the shorthand]

[ 29 ] When looking through windows, one perceives the dome in connection with the soul of nature. But up there is something conceived in such a way that it reaches out into the vastness. You will find everything depicted there that you have ever encountered in anthroposophy; but not as allegory—rather, everything is interpreted artistically. It is important that [illegible word in the stenographic record] occurs there, that one has a painting there that is created out of the spirit.

[ 30 ] The fact is that we have to extract the paint ourselves first. We only have plant-based pigments; we’re still missing two, but that’s a result of the war. The plant-based pigments have an inner luminosity, because the painting is actually done as a whole. Keep in mind, it’s not a matter of painting a lighted surface; rather, when painting naturalistically, the objects themselves glow—so this is a different kind of painting, and you need different colors for it; and you must also use a technique such that what is painted does not appear as if it were illuminated, but as if it were glowing from within. This requires a completely different approach to painting and [a different] painting technique. This is how the domes are painted. [Gap]

[ 31 ] All of this has only been made possible because a number of friends have devoted themselves to these projects. Everything has been done with the utmost dedication: it has been carved into the wall; the panels have been etched with an immense amount of labor; and the paintings have been created with great devotion. And something like this is only possible when a number of people truly come together to devote all their energy to it for a period of time. It is hard to imagine just how much artistic effort has actually gone into this building. This is given far too little consideration.

[ 32 ] The focal point of the whole is to be a sculptural group intended to represent the mystery that is to become the central mystery of the cultural era now beginning. This group is intended to be placed here, so that it will stand facing directly west. This group primarily features a central figure. I am not at all comfortable with approaching this from a prosaic or novelistic perspective; rather, one should approach it from an artistic perspective. Anyone who, when looking at the central figure, believes what is otherwise believed about Christ will be doing the right thing, but it depicts a human chest, and [illegible word] [gap], but rather focus on what stands directly before us—this representative of humanity. So that he now expresses, above all, the element of love. He is in connection with the Ahrimanic and the Luciferic elements [which are depicted to his right and left]. That is, in fact, what will be necessary in the future [illegible word]—to understand that, by looking at the human, whether in the spiritual-religious or the social-economic sphere, we must grasp how the normal human element works within human nature, and that the Ahrimanic and the Luciferic live within the human.

[ 33 ] I would have to speak for hours if I were to explain the Trinity of Christ, Lucifer, and Ahriman to you now, but today I will only touch on the outline.

[ 34 ] You see, Ahriman is connected to everything in human beings that pertains to downward-acting forces rather than upward-acting ones. Ahriman is, in fact, that in which only the transitory is found—that is, what leads us humans to death, what causes us to die. But it is with these forces of death—which ultimately cause us to die—that we actually think; with these forces we are clever, mischievous, and cunning, but also wise through our understanding. This is connected to the downward course of human development. Yet this, in turn, is also connected to the forms within the human head. The head is the deadest [illegible words] part of the human being. Now consider the idea of metamorphosis: Underlying this is a being that is not decisive for the form of the whole human being, but is decisive for how, in humans, the head alone is formed.

[ 35 ] A being that normally has limbs but is entirely [illegible words], entirely a gesture of the head—imagine a being consisting solely of a head as a whole being. The human being is head, head, and limbs. Imagine what exists in the head as formative powers, expressed across an entire being—then you have, in its true form, an Ahrimanic being. This is repeated twice in the group. In the center, then, is the main figure, then here below once this Ahrimanic being. This is repeated here once more. And here, in connection with this Ahrimanic being, we have a Luciferic being; here, a second Luciferic being. Here, this representative of humanity has one arm and [one] hand extending downward in this gesture, while the other hand and [the other] arm extend upward in this gesture. The point here is that the arm and hand are not depicted as if an attack were emanating from the central figure against Ahriman and Lucifer; rather, love flows both downward and upward. But here, Lucifer cannot bear the love flowing toward him. He shatters and plunges downward. Here is Lucifer in his fall. Likewise, Christ’s downward-reaching hand, which terrifies Ahriman, is not an attack either; rather, love flows downward, and [Ahriman] cannot bear it. This, of course, would have to be expressed in an artistic [manner].

[ 36 ] This group is to be placed in the most important location and is intended to express what is normal and human, what is Luciferic, and what is Ahrimanic.

[ 37 ] The Luciferic principle arises when everything in the human being that otherwise remains unconscious [begins to exert a formative influence]—those organs that express the will and, more generally, the act of grasping, as well as everything expressed through the power of production, The opposite of Ahriman is thus a borderline being, but only in form as a boundary: Lucifer is whole, sprouting, budding life. So if you imagine the organs of production transformed into the entire being, then you have something extraordinary. While Ahriman is, at heart, terribly ugly, Lucifer is very beautiful in his forms, but he is that which resounds in human life as the power of [illegible word], as the power of sprouting and budding.

[ 38 ] And what is death to life lives on as an allegory; it lives on naturally in the spiritual realm of the future as spiritual life, if you consider this here [gap in the transcript]

[ 39 ] If we had only what Lucifer is, then we would be a being with a glowing hand, but terribly stupid, not at all clever. So this is Lucifer: beautiful and stupid; Ahriman is ugly, but exceedingly clever. Lucifer has life—a beautiful, flourishing life; Ahriman has death, but is clever, wise, and shrewd. This is what should be expressed in this main group.

[ 40 ] I will now take the liberty of showing you some more images that will give you a bit of a mental image of the idea that is being expressed in this group.

[ 41 ] This is what we will now depict here. First, the head of Ahriman. So here you see a head shaped in such a way that only the Ahrimanic element gives it its form. [illegible or incomprehensible passage in the transcript]

[ 42 ] Now imagine removing everything human—everything Christ-like and everything Luciferic—from the head of a normal human being, and highlighting only the formative forces of the Ahrimanic; you will then see this Ahrimanic form of the head. Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the whole figure of Ahriman. His full figure can already be seen in the sculpture group, but this is meant to show you only the head.

[ 43 ] I would like to expressly note that all these things actually reveal their true form precisely when they are carved from wood. Even using occult means, I had been unable to determine the reason why the Greek, pagan, and Gothic [figures] were all sculpted in stone rather than in wood. Whereas all the figures associated with Christian development that were carved in wood are actually expressed correctly. [Illegible words] If it were in wood, it would finally reveal what it was meant to be. It is a Pietà. You can’t really carve a Christ properly in stone. An apostle figure, however, is suitable for stone. Likewise, the Lateran figure of Christ—it, too, should be made of wood. This is very interesting; for me, the fact is certain, but the reasons will perhaps only emerge through occult research. Why? I don’t know myself today.

[ 44 ] I have already addressed this in my books; I would say, purely in terms of the motif. So this was created based on the motif of Ahriman. It is entirely realistic—spiritually realistic—and if you imagine Ahriman in this way, then you have a correct mental image of Ahriman [gap in the transcript]

[ 45 ] The head, then, takes shape on the figure lying horizontally below. Ahriman eventually grows out of the rock; and must work his way out, as is indicated there. For there is often [illegible words] dealing with Ahriman.

[ 46 ] It will not be possible to model Lucifer without understanding from the following image how Lucifer is to be interpreted. I have already told you how he takes on his form. [Gap in the transcript]

[ 47 ] So here you see: If you set aside everything Ahrimanic and normally human from the upper body and head, you see the Luciferic here. Here is a sort of arm and hand, but these are not the [illegible words]; rather, something of the wings can be seen growing out from the torso here, which are attached to the torso. The tips of the wings are directly attached to the torso. It widens upward, as if the wings [gap in the stenographic record]

[ 48 ] Imagine—it’s not a pleasant mental image, you might say, and yet this state does exist—imagine your ears so enlarged that they are very large; not Scelen’s ears, but beautifully formed ones that emerge from the earlobes. And now imagine your shoulder blades expanded into wings, and the whole thing as an organ that also contains the larynx, so that you have an organ into which the music of the spheres directly intervenes, so that you have, as it were, wave-like formations—a formation arising from the earlobe: the laryngeal wings and the shoulder wings. The vibration of the universe intervenes in the whole. [illegible words] Thus does Lucifer speak the Word of the World. You surely know this. Up there is the head. You see the wings extending over it. The head is conceived as open at the top and connected to the wings.

[ 49 ] Now imagine—having ascended just a little bit—that you see this image. So there you have Lucifer down below, and then up here, to the left of Lucifer, you see an elemental being. Regarding this elemental being, I would say that it actually became our destiny through karma last year. Half a year ago, one day Mrs. Waller came [...] and explained—long after [the framework of] the entire group had been dismantled—that [of the entire group] the center of gravity was [shifted] too far to the right. The group was therefore in danger of tipping over to the right.

[ 50 ] This made it necessary to create a counterbalance on the left. That was an important sign from fate. You must understand that the entire group is eight and a half meters tall. So this little figure had to be created. With this figure—as these things just happen—I had an intuition: It must be created exactly as it is.

[ 51 ] Now, everything here captures something that is not possible in external, naturalistic art as sculpture. In external art, symmetry must prevail. Here, there is asymmetry. It is, therefore, that which is restrained by external physical nature. This must be captured in the spiritual realm. You will also notice in the physical realm that your left eye is often different from your right; the same applies to the ears, the nose, and so on. Human beings are always somewhat asymmetrical. This being is, in fact, artistically created to be entirely asymmetrical—not from within, but from this fateful moment in the history of anthroposophy.

[ 52 ] This peculiar asymmetry is not [illegible words] something very strange. As you walk around it, it looks different from every angle and reveals something different. It is absolutely necessary that, if you wish to grasp this being—this being as it is depicted in the mystery of the world, peering over the rock and crossing over with a gesture, a movement, and a state of mind—you understand it correctly through true occultism, not by [illegible passage], but by surrendering yourself to the spiritual worlds. That one should not promote pessimism, but hope. [illegible passage]

[ 53 ] One does learn from these things, after all, and we have learned a great deal. A great deal of artistic work has gone into them. The woman who worked on this group, in particular, has gradually grown in her ability to create the form, as well as in her ability to bring to life what is essential within that form. And with this group, the intention is to bring something into the world that truly conveys the fundamental impulse of the whole of anthroposophy, as well as that which is meant to be linked to anthroposophy as a secondary impulse. No finger, no hand should be anything other than created from the spiritual. All gestures, all movements that are artistic forms, are, in their entire expression, like facial expressions otherwise. [illegible passage] But here everything is gesture; these are not static but dynamic forms. In sculpture, one had to overcome all heaviness—that was very difficult.

[ 54 ] The next image I’ll show you depicts another view of the same subject. Here you can see Lucifer looking over there, and above him, this being, photographed from the side. You can also see how peculiar it looks—this being here, which you see photographed from the left; and it is interesting to note how the expression, due to this asymmetry, is different from what it was in the previous view. It is precisely through this asymmetry that it becomes apparent that the form [illegible word] is transformed into gestures; that is the artistic concept behind this group. [Gap in the stenographic transcript]

[ 55 ] One can also look at the hands, which have likewise been transformed into gestures; the truth is that one must aspire to, and strive for, what Schiller once attempted in his effort to transcend substance through form. /[Illegible passage] So the forms should be transformed into gestures. This makes it possible to [illegible words] express more. It’s more difficult in sculpture than in painting. [illegible words in the shorthand]

[ 56 ] The same group was depicted in the dome. I have dabbled a bit in painting myself and have tried to capture precisely all these different things. The painted group consists only of the central figure and a figure representing Lucifer and one representing Ahriman. Through the effect of color, the same thing is expressed there as is expressed here through the gestures. And there one had to establish a foundation for all these mysteries of the effect of color.

[ 57 ] It is [gap in the transcript]

[ 58 ] Most people don't really have a proper understanding of painting. To them, it is essentially an illustration of reality. But that is not what painting is. Read the Mystery Drama, where I explained how the form of color should be a work of art in itself. That is what painting strives to achieve.

[ 59 ] Now, in the center of the whole composition—Ahriman is down here, to the left behind Christ, and then Lucifer here—that is, the other, great Lucifer who is falling; I do not have him here. But here are two more images; one depicts the head of the central figure. There you will see how this [illegible words in the stenographic notes] allows one to truly perceive the essence of Christ.

[ 60 ] [When the] sculpture was created, a clergyman told me—long after he had [illegible words]—that its fragility had become particularly tangible to the human spirit. [Gap in the transcript]

[ 61 ] The photograph shows the profile of the central figure’s head. The further [one’s gaze travels down] the figure, the more it becomes mere gesture. Nothing realistic—no bones, no feet—is depicted. It’s all about the spiritual gesture the further down you go. — Perhaps we could now flip the slide.

[ 62 ] You see, if you compare what you see now with what [you] saw earlier, you’ll notice the asymmetry in the inverted image. One side is completely different from the other. Please keep in mind exactly what it looks like from this side—that is, from this right side. Now let’s turn it around again, and you’ll see how different it looks from the other side. You’re seeing this only [in these two projections] from two perspectives, but if you walk around the group, you’ll see it from all possible angles. This brings the asymmetry to life, as the goal is to draw out of the form precisely this subtle treatment of asymmetry.

[ 63 ] And now, as a final image, I’ve looked at the same head from the front. This is the head as seen from the front. It is asymmetrical right down to the hair. You will only understand this later, when you see the group. All the asymmetries sought here in the forehead, the shape of the eyes, and the hair now correspond perfectly with the gestures of the arms and hands.

[ 64 ] The whole thing is a single moment, with various gestures of the arms and hands. [Gap in the transcript]

[ 65 ] Well, you see, this construction project now requires something that is particularly necessary at the moment: a little more money. The construction has already cost quite a bit, but one shouldn’t immediately assume that it’s costing too much—you should keep in mind—that the work was actually done on a voluntary basis, carried out by our members as unpaid labor. You know that insurance coverage is provided only for manual and physical labor; in this case, the insurance company insured the building—without hesitation or objection—for exactly the amount it cost. This is also external proof that nothing was given away for free. You can see from this that the building is worth exactly what it cost. [Gap in the transcript] There is still money that needs to be raised, which I hope will be raised in the near future. I did not want to speak to you today about this downside of the matter, but rather, out of a true sense of duty, to describe in purely artistic terms what is being done in Dornach. I wanted to show that a genuine effort is being made here to introduce a new artistic element to humanity through our movement.