Art Study Year
The vitalizing power of Anthroposophy in Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. Explore this study program, offered by the Section for Fine Arts at the Goetheanum
About the course
The Art Study Year, offered by the Visual Arts Section at the Goetheanum, is aimed at anyone who wishes to awaken and deepen their interest in art. In three trimesters, which can also be attended individually, the fields of architecture, sculpture and painting are explored in practical terms on the basis of Anthroposophy and Goetheanism, and deepened through anthroposophical foundational studies.
This program is offered in German and English. Below you will find the dates and the application form.
| 2025/26 | Theme | Periode |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Painting | 13 April – 26 June 2026 |
| 2026/27 | Schwerpunkt | Periode |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn | Sculpture | 5. October – 18. Dezember 2026 |
| Winter | Architecture | 11. January – 26. March 2027 |
| Spring | Painting | 12. April – 25. June 2027 |
The study of Anthroposophy as a path to knowledge
Rudolf Steiner's artistic impulse conveys the invigorating power of anthroposophy as art in architecture, sculpture, and painting. It can help us find new paths and forms of expression and position ourselves more strongly in our rapidly changing world. In the process, we can experience organic life, recognize and experience spiritual forces, and increasingly shape them ourselves.
The study of anthroposophy as a path to knowledge can enhance the experience of what is living, with the Goethean approach playing a central role. In the process, the soul-spiritual dimensions of space, form, and color can be experienced more consciously and flow into creative activity.
Text-study on Rudolf Steiner's fundamental works
The morning text-study will focus on one of Rudolf Steiner's fundamental works each trimesters. These classes precede the practical work in the studio.
Fall trimester SCULPTURE: Theosophy
Winter trimester ARCHITECTURE: The Philosophy of Freedom
Spring trimester PAINTING: An Outline of Esoteric Science
(throughout all trimesters: How to Attain Knowledge of Higher Worlds)
Work in the studio
The art study year is structured in three parts and, following the text-study in the mornings on Rudolf Steiner's fundamental works, is organized by three main lecturers in collaboration with guest lecturers.
Autumn Term SCULPTURE:
Barbara Schnetzler (main lecturer), Rudolf Kaesbach, and other guest lecturers
The focus of the first term is on exploring the basic elements of plastic arts and learning sculptural skills. The study of the world of forms in nature and human beings will be central. Rudolf Steiner's sketches and instructions for sculpting in clay, stone, and wood will be explored. In a second step, what has been learned will be tested in the students' own works. The sculptural-artistic experiences and the penetration into the liveliness of the formative forces can strengthen the students' own creative potential and make it tangible.
Winter Term ARCHITECTURE:
Markus Fischer (main lecturer), Christian Hitsch, Pieter van der Ree, and other guest lecturers
Introduction to Rudolf Steiner's architecture as seen in the first and second Goetheanum and its annexes, and its corresponding foundations. The course is mainly conducted in practical artistic studio work.
Spring Term PAINTING:
Esther Gerster (main lecturer), Nathaniel Williams, and other guest lecturers
Two-dimensional art and the spiritual dimensions of Impressionism.
Part of the spring term will focus on the question of how perception can be transformed into art. The approach involves focusing on creative and spiritual activity while working with two-dimensional media to create images. Practical work on paper with ink, watercolor, plant dyes, pastels, graphite, and charcoal, as well as art appreciation and the reading and discussion of texts by Rudolf Steiner and various artists, will be the content of this trimester.
General Information
Visual Arts Section at the Goetheanum in collaboration with Goetheanum Studium
Language
The languages of instruction are German and English.
Costs
First trimester/single trimester: CHF 2,450.00 (including registration fee and material costs)
Second trimester: CHF 2,400.00 (including material costs)
Third trimester (if attending all three trimesters within one year): CHF 2,000.00 (including material costs)
The Section
The Visual Arts Section aims to support and promote the creative potential of artists and non-professionals alike. It sees the artistic impulses and inspirations of Rudolf Steiner, his successors, and current global art trends as the basis for exploration and development within the arts.
Faculty
Barbara Schnetzler
Freelance sculptor based in Basel and Mulhouse. She trained as a sculptor at the Müllheim Sculpture School (TG). Her work is represented by various galleries and is featured in several art collections and public spaces. She was a member of the leadership team from 2020 to 2023 and continues to be associated with the Visual Arts Section at the Goetheanum as a lecturer and curator.
Christian Hitsch
1969-1975 Studium der Bildhauerei an der Freien Hochschule für das soziale Wirken in der Kunst. Meisterschüler von Siegfried Pütz. 1975-1982 Werk- und Kunstlehrer an der Rudolf Steiner-Schule Wien. 1982-1989 Mitbegründer und Dozent an der Goetheanistischen Studienstätte in Wien für Anthroposophie, Kunst und Pädagogik. 1989-2004 Leitung der Sektion für Bildende Künste am Goetheanum. Seit 2004 freischaffend in der Schweiz und in Österreich.
Dr. phil. Christiane Haid
Born 1965 in Germany. Studied German, history, art and education in Freiburg and Hamburg, Germany. Head of the Section for the Fine Arts and the Section for the Fine Sciences and program director of the publishing house at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. She publishes her own texts on literary, cultural and anthroposophical themes.
Esther Gerster
Born 1957 in Switzerland. Studied art at the Goetheanistische Studienstätte in Vienna, Austria, worked on the ceiling painting of the Great Hall in the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. She was Executive Council and General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society in Switzerland. Today she teaches painting at the Goetheanum Anthroposophical Studies, gives painting courses, exhibits her art and gives guided tours and visits to the Goetheanum.
Nathaniel Williams
Nathaniel Williams founded the Free Columbia training site with Laura Summer, where he directed the M.C. Richards program. He studied art and puppetry in Basel, Switzerland, and graduated in fine arts from the Neue Kunstschule in 2002. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Albany and works as a performer, teacher and artist. Currently he is the head of the Youth Section at the Goetheanum.
Pieter van der Ree
Studium der Architektur an der Technischen Universität in Delft (NL). Seit 1990 selbständiger Architekt im Bereich des ökologischen Bauens und der organischen Gestaltung. Veröffentlichungen zur Wechselwirkung zwischen Mensch und Architektur, zum organischen Bauen: «Organische Architektur» (2000); 2003 Kurator der Wanderausstellung «Organische Architektur – Mensch und Natur als Inspiration für das Bauen». 2005-2020 Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Organische Architektur an der Alanus Hochschule bei Bonn.
Renatus Ziegler
Dr. rer nat. Studium der Mathematik und Theoretischen, Physik, ETH Zürich. Promotion 1985 über geometrische Mechanik, Universität Kassel. Forschung und Lehre an Universitäten der USA, ab 1987 an der Mathematisch-Astronomischen Sektion am Goetheanum. 2001–2019 wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter im Verein für Krebsforschung, Arlesheim (Schweiz). Seit 2019 im Rudolf Steiner Archiv als Herausgeber im Rahmen der Rudolf Steiner Gesamtausgabe.
Rudolf Kaesbach
Born 1950 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Studied architecture at the ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and sculpture with John Wilkes, England, as well as at the sculpture school at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland. He worked as a works teacher in Marburg, Germany, and then took over as head of sculpture education at Emerson College, Great Britain, from 1980 to 2018. He currently teaches courses in sculpture, land art and pedagogical sculpting worldwide.