There is an artist who painted abstract art years before Kandinsky, Malevich, or Mondrian—and whom almost no one knew during her lifetime. Hilma af Klint herself requested that her work remain hidden for twenty years after her death, convinced that the world was not yet ready to understand it. It took much longer, and a resounding exhibition at the Guggenheim in 2018-2019, for her to finally be recognized as one of the pioneers of abstraction.
Here, I offer a simple journey to understand who Hilma af Klint was, where her unique visual language came from, and what her most iconic series, The Swan, is about.
Who was Hilma af Klint? A quick portrait
Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was a Swedish painter, trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm—a classical academic training, far from the image we have today of a pioneer of abstraction. She initially pursued a conventional career as a portrait and landscape painter, while also taking an interest in theosophy and spiritualism, which were very popular in European intellectual circles at the end of the 19th century.
In 1896, she co-founded a group called De Fem ("The Five") with four other women, which organized regular sessions combining meditation and automatic drawing, with the idea of receiving messages from spiritual entities through pictorial gesture. It is from this very specific context that, from 1906, one of the most astonishing bodies of work in the history of modern art would emerge.
The Paintings for the Temple: a work hidden for a century
Between 1906 and 1915, Hilma af Klint painted more than 190 canvases grouped under the general title of Paintings for the Temple, a monumental cycle intended to adorn an imaginary spiritual temple. These works, often very large, explore geometric and organic forms completely freed from any figuration—years before Kandinsky painted what is today considered one of the first officially recognized abstract works.
The cycle consists of several series: The Ten Largest, monumental compositions on the ages of life; The Swan, which explores duality and transformation through this animal motif; The Dove, based on a similar principle; and finally the three Altarpieces, which conclude the entire cycle on an almost cosmic synthesis.
The Swan series: duality and transformation
The Swan consists of 24 paintings created in 1914-1915, where the swan—an ancient figure in mythology and fairy tales, often associated with transformation and purity—serves as the starting point for a radical progression: the first paintings in the series still show recognizable swans, white and black facing each other, while the subsequent ones gradually dissolve into pure abstract geometric forms, colored circles and spirals.
This progression is not by chance: it visually translates the theosophical idea of spiritual evolution, from the visible material world to a more abstract and higher reality. It is precisely this processual, almost narrative dimension, that makes The Swan series so fascinating—and so different from the later research conducted by male pioneers of abstraction, more focused on pure formal composition.
How to recognize Hilma af Klint's style?
A few characteristics immediately identify a work by Hilma af Klint:
- Pure geometric forms: circles, spirals, triangles, often organized into almost diagrammatic symmetrical compositions.
- A symbolic palette: blue for feminine, yellow for masculine, colors chosen according to a precise spiritual system rather than for their aesthetic effect alone.
- Often monumental formats, conceived for an imaginary temple, very unusual for a female painter of her time.
- A strong narrative and symbolic dimension: each series tells a progression, a transformation, almost an initiatory story.
Five works to enter Hilma af Klint's universe
The Swan No. 17 One of the most abstract paintings in the series, where the swan motif has almost entirely disappeared in favor of colored concentric circles—black, white, blue, and ochre—illustrating the culmination of the progression towards pure abstraction initiated at the beginning of the series. View the work on Gustave's website.
Altarpiece No. 1 The first of the three paintings that conclude the Paintings for the Temple cycle: a multicolored pyramid surmounted by a radiating golden disc, summarizing in a single composition the entire spiritual progression of the cycle, from bottom to top, from matter to light. View the work on Gustave's website.
Altarpiece No. 2 The second painting in the triptych, built around a cone and a golden circle surrounded by oval pastel shapes, in a softer palette than the first. Together, the three Altarpieces form a kind of visual conclusion to the entire Temple cycle. View the work on Gustave's website.
Dove No. 2 A circular composition in red, purple, and pink tones, organized around a large circle divided into quadrants—the The Dove series explores a duality similar to that of The Swan, but with its own formal vocabulary, more centered on the circle than on the animal figure. View the work on Gustave's website.
The Ten Largest, Group IV From The Ten Largest series, one of the most monumental in the cycle, this composition on an orange background unfolds large spiral forms evoking flowers or biological cells seen under a microscope. The series symbolically traces the four ages of life; this painting belongs to the group dedicated to youth. View the work on Gustave's website.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions about Hilma af Klint
Is Hilma af Klint truly the first abstract artist? It is now widely recognized by art historians: her first abstract compositions date from 1906-1907, several years before the works generally cited as foundational to abstraction, notably those of Wassily Kandinsky from 1910-1911.
Why did Hilma af Klint's work remain unknown for so long? She herself requested, in her will, that her abstract works not be shown until twenty years after her death, believing that the public of her time was not ready to understand them. In fact, it took much longer—her international recognition truly emerged only from the 2010s, notably with the Guggenheim exhibition of 2018-2019.
What is The Swan series? A set of 24 paintings created in 1914-1915, where the swan motif gradually evolves from figuration to pure abstraction, visually translating an idea of transformation and spiritual evolution dear to the artist.
What is the connection between Hilma af Klint and theosophy? Hilma af Klint was deeply interested in theosophy and spiritualism, and was part of a group of five female artists, De Fem, who practiced automatic drawing sessions. This spiritual dimension is at the heart of the genesis of her great abstract series, notably the Paintings for the Temple cycle.
For those who want a Hilma af Klint work in their home
Where can I find posters or reproductions of Hilma af Klint? Gustave offers a collection dedicated to Hilma af Klint, with several iconic pieces from the Paintings for the Temple cycle—including The Swan No. 17, the two Altarpieces, Dove No. 2, and a painting from The Ten Largest series—reproduced in high quality, starting from €18.
Can these posters be purchased already framed? Yes: each poster in the Hilma af Klint collection is available framed and ready to hang, or alone if you prefer to choose your own frame.
Which Hilma af Klint poster should I choose for interior decoration? The Swan No. 17 and Dove No. 2, with their circular shapes and soft colors, work well in a soothing bedroom or living room. The two Altarpieces, more graphic and symbolic, make a beautiful pair to frame a sofa or bed. The painting from The Ten Largest series, more colorful and organic, adds vibrancy to an office or creative space.
Are there limited editions or originals by Hilma af Klint for sale? Hilma af Klint's originals belong almost exclusively to the Hilma af Klint Foundation and institutions like the Moderna Museet in Stockholm; they almost never circulate on the art market. To enjoy her unique universe daily, high-quality art reproduction remains the only accessible solution: this is the approach taken by Gustave's Hilma af Klint collection.