Jump to content

The hermit painting


lucyinthesky

Recommended Posts

Barrington Coleby

"The original vinyl album cover of Led Zeppelin's hit album Led Zeppelin IV (as well as the liner notes for the CD release) contains a painted picture of the Hermit standing on top of a mountain peak looking down on a small village. The Hermit was the favorite Tarot character of Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. The painting is attributed to Barrington Coleby, a friend of Page who now resides in Switzerland. The original painting has disappeared meanwhile but is said to be in the collection of a private person in the US."

source

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Page painted that? I'll be damned.

Upon endless searches and researches of the name Barrington Colby, I can only say no one else seems to have heard of him. And as Page used to check into hotels under the psedonym Chevalier MacGregor, I don't doubt his ability to create names you'd never suspect (I know, MacGregor Mathers).

That said, I've leaned more towards the "I suspect Jimmy may (stress on may) have painted it" camp.

Now, is that in fact a dove beneath the hermit's foot? Is that a hint of a cloven hoof in the hermit's shoe? Are those the feathers of a fallen angel subtly folded into his cloak? And why is his head so damned pointy? Horns under that hood? 6-pointed Seal of Solomon" from the Kabballah in the lantern?

Relax people, this is just for fun! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read somewhere that he bought it at a junk shop or something..

The Junk Shop thing was the cover of IV with the man and the sticks, if I remember right. Robert bought it. (there's a thread around here, I think.)

PS: Ev, I never saw all the stuff in the painting...visual backmasking? B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Upon endless searches and researches of the name Barrington Colby, I can only say no one else seems to have heard of him. And as Page used to check into hotels under the psedonym Chevalier MacGregor, I don't doubt his ability to create names you'd never suspect (I know, MacGregor Mathers).

That said, I've leaned more towards the "I suspect Jimmy may (stress on may) have painted it" camp.

Now, is that in fact a dove beneath the hermit's foot? Is that a hint of a cloven hoof in the hermit's shoe? Are those the feathers of a fallen angel subtly folded into his cloak? And why is his head so damned pointy? Horns under that hood? 6-pointed Seal of Solomon" from the Kabballah in the lantern?

Relax people, this is just for fun! :D

You mean it's really been Jimmy that painted that? This Barrington Colby doesn't exist? Very interesting. I've never seen anything he painted besides his guitar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Six pointed Star of Solo.Mon(day) Nov. 25, 1963

(the day I was born).

jude.jpg

Good Eve.N.ing B)

A few more things to add....

It is not the star of Solomon

It is the Star of David, my father and I'm his little pride and joyful.

The Seal of Solomon is on my birth certificate. It's a gold stamp

Regarding Barrington, it's a street in Halifax, with a huge property that's been open for rental for a long time now, that I would really like to turn into an art gallery.

As far as the light being contained in the lamp, let's just say... it's not my favorite Hermit card...

to be continued....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do I look like I want to be contained within a lamp? :(

to be continued....

Rather, this is my preference for the Hermit card, from the Haindl deck...

Hermit.jpg

The cipher Yud symbolizes my name, Yehudit or Judy in English.

I encompass the whole picture...

And a S.word (his cane) is darting out of my mouth, symbolizing where I now live, in Dartmouth...K.New Scotland

HerM.I.T (I am a bit of a genius)

Now, the question is.... Can Jimmy handle it? B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And as Page used to check into hotels under the psedonym Chevalier MacGregor, I don't doubt his ability to create names you'd never suspect (I know, MacGregor Mathers).

That pissed me off first time I read it. Gregor is my ex's name. He has the same birthday as Paul Macca. No further comment.

paul.jpg

My math skills are more excellent

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was once the theory that Jimmy was Jewish, given the 'Star' in the lantern - but he's a Thelemite, so that put the kibosh on that one.

I don't think there are any religious connotations connected to the Hermit other than Jimmy's own belief's.

I think the rumours were that he was into Jewish kabbalah, (what other kind of real kabbalah is there), and at that... some folks should never ever have had access to our writings.

Now that I got that out of the way.... What was his name in the past, ha ha B)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 years later...

I know this post is a LITTLE BIT late. If you have never held the the art work on the inside of Zep 4 up against a mirror then you don't know the true genius of it! A mirror with no frame works the best. If you hold the painting upright against a mirror you will see the toad at the top and below it, the bull. If you turn it over you will see the happy little idol. If you hold the bottom edge to the mirror you will see the howling dog. I can not condone the the use of mind altering intoxicants but in my youth I dosed one night and spent hours in front of a mirror finding all kinds of crazy images hidden in this painting! I have seen the spider and it is scary! I wish I knew who did this painting so I could thank them for this truly inspired piece of art!!! Rediscover what was has been unknown or forgotten for too long, enjoy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...