In Search of the Miraculous: the Influence of Pyotr Ouspensky’s Writings on Mikhail Matiushin’s Theory of Art

Abstract This article explores the esoteric dimensions of Russian avant-garde artist Mikhail Matiushin’s theory of art, emphasizing the profound influence of Pyotr Ouspensky’s mystical and philosophical writings. It situates Matiushin’s work within the broader context of late Imperial Russia’s intellectual and artistic ferment, where Theosophy, occultism, and emerging scientific theories shaped alternative visions of reality. While Russian modernist artists shared Western European interests in higher dimensions and unseen realms, Matiushin uniquely integrated Ouspensky’s notions of the fourth dimension and mystical intuition into his art and theoretical writings. The essay traces how Matiushin’s early embrace of esoteric ideas – especially those mediated through Ouspensky’s Tertium Organum – evolved into a more scientifically couched discourse by the 1920s, even as its core remained deeply mystical. By analyzing the evolution of his artistic worldview in several drafts, the article reveals Matiushin’s enduring search for the miraculous, which continued to underpin his artistic vision despite his public disavowal of occultism in the early 1930s.