Thoth Tarot 1943

Lady Frieda Harris made this painting, Thoth Tarot, using dark black outlines to create a stained-glass effect, filling each segment with vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. I imagine Lady Frieda Harris applying paint, layer upon layer, building up these striking colours, allowing the painting to emerge through a process of intuition. The texture, though not overtly thick, suggests depth, each stroke alive with intention, a conversation between artist and canvas. That omniscient eye, radiating beams, feels like it watches over the whole scene. And the way the artist has painted the building, angular and almost collapsing, resonates with a feeling of destabilization. You can sense Harris grappling with representing the unseen, the subconscious, and maybe trying to capture something spiritual in paint. Looking at this, I am reminded of the symbolist painters, also Wassily Kandinsky, who sought to visualize emotions. It’s a reminder that artists are always in dialogue, building upon one another's experiments. Each painting is not just an object but an invitation to see, feel, and think differently.