Thoth Tarot 1943

Lady Frieda Harris made this painting, Thoth Tarot, and I love the warm, almost medieval palette of ochre, gold, and deep red. There’s a real sense of alchemy here, the colors feel both earthy and illuminated. What strikes me most is the texture. The paint seems almost scrubbed into the surface, creating a kind of relief. See how the lion's mane is built up with these gestural marks, giving it a palpable sense of weight and presence. The paint isn’t trying to hide itself; it’s right there on the surface, asserting its own materiality. It makes you think about the act of painting itself. The way Harris handles paint reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint, especially in the way she uses abstraction to explore spiritual ideas. But where Klint is all geometry and precision, Harris is wilder, more intuitive. Ultimately, art is this ongoing conversation between artists across time, each bringing their own experiences and perspectives to the table.