Cosmic Philosophy and the Arts: The Cosmic Movement and the Idéal et Réalité Circle

This article discusses the nexus between art and occultism in the Idéal et Réalité group, which was active in Paris in the third decade of the twentieth century and attracted many prominent writers, poets, actors, and artists. The Idéal et Réalité group emerged from the early twentieth-century esoteric Le Mouvement Cosmique, and it was much influenced by its Cosmic Philosophy. The Cosmic Movement was founded by Max Théon and his wife Théona (Mary Ware) in the first decade of the twentieth century. Art and literature were important in the philosophy and practice of both the Cosmic Movement and the Idéal et Réalité circle. Art dealer Eugène Blot and members of his extended family contributed to the participation of high-profile artists in the Idéal et Réalité circle.