ALCHEMICAL MANDALA, 1940
Watercolour and gold paint on paper. 13 x 11in. (33 x 28cm.)
Inscribed with the title and dated on the unpainted upper portion of the sheet.
Provenance
WH Lane & Son, Penzance, 28 Feb. 2007, lot 317.
With Red Raven Arts, London.
A mandala is an object, usually circular, which is used to focus attention during meditation. Mandalas are a symbolic representation of the cosmos and are usually associated with the Hindu and Buddhist religions.
The four small circles are in the colours of the traditional alchemical elements: Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The larger, enclosing, circle is divided into two halves, which may indicate spirit and matter.