The Impact of Traditionalist Thought on Contemporary Art from the Perspective of Frithjof Schuon’s Ideas (Case Study: Sohrab Sepehri’s Paintings and Poetry)

Abstract

Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998), a Swiss-German thinker, is one of the most significant figures of the Traditionalist School. Schuon's artistic perspective is rooted in an awareness and symbolic expression of the Absolute. This article seeks to examine the works of Sohrab Sepehri, an Iranian painter and poet, through the lens of Schuon's Traditionalist views on art. It aims to address the question of how Schuon’s concept and meaning of art manifest in Sepehri’s poetry and paintings, and with what characteristics. The research is fundamental and theoretical in nature and employs a descriptive and analytical method of data analysis. Specifically, the article aims to describe Schuon’s views on Traditionalist art and then analyze Sepehri’s works (poetry and painting) by focusing on six concepts: expression of the intelligible, symbolic nature, lack of innovation, utility and functionality, conformity of form, primary materials, and symbolic expression aligned with the principles of Traditionalist art. To this end, selected samples of Sepehri’s poetry and paintings were chosen randomly.