Hilma’s Invisible World

The world wasn’t ready for Hilma af Klint’s art—or so she believed. So the Swedish artist hid her paintings from the public while she was alive and left instructions that they shouldn’t be shown until at least 20 years after her death.

As a result, af Klint remained relatively unknown until the 1980s, long after her death in 1944. Today scholars recognize that she was creating abstract art at least five years before Wassily Kandinsky, who has traditionally been given credit for this innovation. What caused af Klint—who had studied landscape painting in art school—to suddenly begin working in an abstract style unlike anything done before? The answer lies in spirituality and science.

Swedish artist Hilma af Klint didn’t think the world was ready for her art. So she hid her paintings. She did not want the public to see them until at least 20 years after her death.

Af Klint died in 1944. But her work remained private until the 1980s. Today experts understand that she was creating abstract art before Wassily Kandinsky, who was thought to have invented this style.

Af Klint studied landscape painting in art school. So why did she start working in an abstract style unlike anyone else?

Born in 1862, af Klint spent time as a child studying and drawing plants and animals. When she was a teenager, she became interested in spiritualism. This is a belief that consciousness continues after a person dies. Af Klint often participated in séances, attempting to contact the dead. Scientific discoveries including radio waves, X-rays, subatomic particles, and other aspects of the “invisible” world also interested af Klint.

In 1906, at the age of 44, af Klint had a vision of herself creating a spiral-shaped temple filled with paintings that looked like none the world had ever seen. Though she never built the temple, she immediately began making paintings for it.

Among the works was a series of 10 paintings that explore the stages of life. At nearly 11 feet by 8 feet, each was huge in scale. Completed in 1907, Group IV, The Ten Largest, No. 7, Adulthood, above, explores adulthood. Organic shapes hint at the flowers and plants af Klint grew up painting. They also represent a change in how the artist renders her ideas.

Af Klint was born in 1862. She liked drawing plants and animals as a child. As a teenager, she became interested in a religion called Spiritualism. She believed that people who died remained present as invisible spirits. She was also interested in scientific discoveries such as X-rays and other phenomena that can’t be seen with the naked eye.

In 1906, when she was 44, af Klint had a vision. She imagined herself creating a spiral-shaped temple. It would be filled with paintings like none the world had ever seen. Af Klint never actually built the temple. But she did start making paintings for it right away.

Af Klint made a series of works that explore the stages of life. She completed the one above, which explores adulthood, in 1907. It’s called Group IV, The Ten Largest, No. 7, Adulthood. The flowing organic shapes hint at the flowers and plants af Klint painted when she was younger.

In 1908, af Klint stopped painting to care for her sick mother. During this time, she read many books about science and philosophy. When she returned to painting in 1912, she moved even further away from the “visible world,” and her work became more geometric.

Does the artist’s 1915 Group IX SUW, The Swan, No. 9, above, remind you of a swan? Af Klint uses curving shapes inscribed with geometric cubes to suggest the bird’s form. She also creates the illusion that this flat image is three-dimensional.

In 1908, af Klint stopped painting to care for her sick mother. During this time, she read books about science and philosophy. They inspired her. In 1912, she started painting again and her work became more geometric.

In the artist’s 1915 work Group IX SUW, The Swan, No. 9, above, af Klint uses curves to suggest a bird. The shapes are filled with geometric cubes. This also makes the image seem three-dimensional.

“Those granted the gift of seeing more deeply can see beyond form,” af Klint once said about her mystical approach to making art. They can “concentrate on the wondrous aspect hiding behind every form, which is called life.”

The last three paintings that visitors would see as they reached the end of af Klint’s spiraling temple might have been most important to the artist. Her 1915 Group X, Altarpiece, No. 1, above, is a triangle made of many smaller geometric shapes. It creates a pathway from the physical world to the spiritual world. Triangular rays of yellow and blue create a crown within what af Klint calls the circle of enlightenment.

From 1906 to 1915, af Klint created nearly 200 works for the temple. She systematically repeated shapes, assigning each a symbolic meaning. For example, a spiral means development and an almond shape means completion. Knowing what the shapes mean can help viewers understand these paintings.

The discovery of af Klint’s work is relatively new, so scholars still have a lot to learn about her. A recent study suggests that some of her paintings were made in collaboration with other female artists. How could this change the way we think about af Klint’s contributions to art history— and abstract art?

Af Klint believed her ideas came from the spirits. “Those granted the gift of seeing more deeply can see beyond form,” she said.

The 1915 work above is called Group X, Altarpiece, No. 1. Af Klint paints a triangle. It creates a pathway from the physical world to the spiritual one. Rays of yellow and blue create a crown. It sits within a larger circle that af Klint calls the circle of enlightenment.

From 1906 to 1915, af Klint created nearly 200 works for the temple. She repeated many shapes among the works and assigned each one a symbolic meaning.

The discovery of af Klint’s work is still new. Scholars have a lot to learn about her. They now believe that other female artists worked with her on some paintings. How might that change the way we think about her role in art history?