From Sasha Chaitow:

This set of illustrations began in 2013, when I started to experiment with translating Péladan’s words into images. His guidelines regarding symbolic art are clear: nothing is to be left to chance; no element is without symbolic significance, and there is no room for free interpretation. The image is a direct visual translation, a ‘silent poem,’ per Plutarch. I chose iconic concepts and figures central to his philosophy, producing a series of pencil studies (exhibited in Madrid, Athens, and London), and then a series in oils (exhibited in Northampton and London, 2016). The illustration process has been as much a form of research as the textual work, since it allowed me to explore how Péladan perceived visual language, and the process of crafting visual narratives that draw on the breadth of esoteric visual traditions. The Belle Epoque aesthetic chosen for this set of illustrations is in honour of the truly unique decade during which Péladan was at his most active, and references some of the great artists of that period, including Aubrey Beardsley, but also the pre-Raphaelites, and of course, the artists close to Péladan, including Félicien Rops, Fernand Khnopff, Carlos Schwabe, Jan Toorop, and Jean Delville. I am far from approaching them in terms of technique, but have sought to draw on their application of symbolic expression. The illustrations are rendered freehand in pen and ink. My only additional tools are a ruler and compass; I work using traditional methods and seek out unusual, rare materials wherever possible.

Series and prints: A strictly limited series of 7 full size prints have been made for illustrations 1-9, 2 of these series are kept by the artist, so only 5 series of prints are for sale. A single series of prints was hand-colored using high-quality writing and drawing inks, and a further, single dichromatic series enhanced using red and gold. Theion Publishing has the exclusive distribution rights for this art series. No further copies will be made, and I will not be revisiting this particular set of images artistically, though I am continuing it so as to illustrate the anthologies of Péladan’s work in preparation for Theion at the time of writing.