The Visionary Art of C.G Jung

Abstract

This article considers how visionary art expresses itself within paintings and pictorial configurations by using Neumann’s work to expand on Jung’s notion of the ‘visionary mode of creativity.’ The first part is a comparative study of Neumann’s ‘four stages of psychological development’ discussed in ‘The Origins and History of Consciousness’ (1949) and his ‘four stages of art in relation to its epoch’ discussed in his essay ‘Art and Time’ (1959). This comparison aims to establish a selection of categories that considers the role of art on the micro-level (the individual) and the macro-level (society). Additionally, it is suggested that these four categories offer an interesting framework for identifying and understanding visionary artworks. Subsequently, the second part uses Neumann’s framework to examine a selection of paintings from ‘Liber Novus’ (2009).