The purpose of this illustrated volume of first-hand recollections is to increase appreciation in the world for Rudolf Steiner's artistic contributions to modern culture. The authors represented in Conversations about Painting with Rudolf Steiner offer insights into Steiner's intentions as he responded to artists' questions about the deeper, spiritual aspects of painting, color, and role of the arts as a whole in culture and society.

Peter Stebbing's inspiration for translating these conversations was an early reading of Hilde Boos-Hamburger's book on Steiner's "new art impulse" (included here). Through the years, Stebbing also came to recognize the importance of other artists who were influenced by Steiner. Margarita Voloschin, for example, describes the inner transformation required of artists who wish to deepen their artistic sensibilities as described by Rudolf Steiner. Henni Geck, though she wrote little on art, is an important figure in this school of artistic renewal through having elicited numerous training sketches from Steiner. Assya Turgenieff was a pioneer artist who worked with stained glass. Her discussion of the artistic approach she used--which incorporated both color and sculpting techniques--can be applied to other visual arts as well.

Conversations about Painting with Rudolf Steiner is an extraordinary contribution to a deeper understanding of the "anthroposophic" arts. Richly illustrated, this volume will warrant serious study and frequent rereading and browsing. A great book for the coffee table.