Having seen some Crowley paintings in person, I must say that digital reproductions don’t do them justice.  While Crowley was not primarily a visual artist, they have a presence that many more technically sophisticated works lack.  These photos, however, are high enough resolution to allow you to see the texture of his brushwork and paint application in some of his works.

http://www.aleistercrowley.com.au/#!1gallery/galleryPage

Crowley’s art is something of an acquired taste.  At first, I found his use of color jarring.  Now I find it evocative and magical.

For me, The Moon (1918) is an old favorite (http://www.lashtal.com/images/metz.jpg), which I was fortunate enough to see when some of his paintings toured Los Angeles, so I’m excited to see that he painted another one in 1921.  Honestly, I can’t decide which I prefer.  I like them both too much.    Idiots on a Mountain, Landscape with Coral and Jade Pagodas, and Sunset on the Sicilian Coast (1920), are entirely new delights.

The painting of four robed figures carrying a black goat up a snowy mountain is still one of my all time favorites. Sadly, this photo is really poor, but you get the idea.  (http://www.lashtal.com/portal/resources/thegalleries/aleister-crowley/art/dscf1830-74.html)

It’s a real shame that many of these wonderful and magical artifacts might disappear into a private collection, never to see the light of day again.   I hope whomever purchases these important pieces of Thelemic and occult history will allow them to circulate through galleries and museums at some point in the future.