Madame Isabelle de Steiger

Madame Isabelle de Steiger was a prominent figure in the Golden Dawn. She joined early, in 1888, the Order's first year of activity. She was initiatied into the Isis-Urania Temple in London. She was also active in the Horus Temple in Bradford and the Amon Ra Temple in Edinburgh. In 1896 she entered the second inner order, being initiated an Adeptus Minor. Indeed she painted the Vault of the Adepts for the Edinburgh Temple. Aside from being a respected artist and translator she was also an original author who had three books published (On the Gold Basis; Super-Humanity and Memorabilia) plus a number of articles.

This painting, Castles in the Air, is of particular interest as it appears to be an Angel enthroned up an altar, with incense burning on either side of her. She sits upon a blue cloth, wearing pearls, blue stomes and a garland. She is holding both a chalice and a lotus wand (stylised versions of the Golden Dawn magical weapons) and before her is a vase with flowers. In front of her a book and beyond her there are suggestions of temples forming in the sky, the Castle in the Air. She is a figure of the divine feminine painted by a woman, an accomplished artist and an accomplished artist and important figure in the occult revival

It is dated 1910, is 36ins x 24ins. The surface is dirty, with some cracked and very small 1/16" paint loss on her left wing tip. There is a 9in rip in the canvas at top right. The picture is in its original ornate gilded frame £1650

Castles in the Air

The picture in its frame

Detail 1

Detail 2

Detail 3

Detail 4

Detail 5