Hilma af Klint: Prophet and Temple Builder

Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), a Swedish painter, left behind a remarkable artistic legacy upon her death. She bequeathed the entirety of her work to her nephew, Erik af Klint, urging him to bring the hidden message within her pieces to light. The artist's estate included 1,600 works, and 124 personal notebooks comprising a total of 26,000 pages, which provide extensive insight into her private thoughts, creative process, and intentions for the future curation of her art.

For the first time, these diaries have been thoroughly examined in the quest to uncover the philosophy of life that Hilma af Klint sought to convey through her work. Erik af Klint, in his own words, aimed to identify the "spiritual masters' intentions" behind his aunt's artistic message.

Hilma af Klint herself referred to the notebooks as "educational material," recognizing them as the key to understanding her paintings. This volume delves into the occult underpinnings of her art, exploring ideas from Spiritualism, Theosophy, and Anthroposophy, as well as examining elements of the 17th-century spiritual beliefs of Rosicrucianism – a movement that held particular influence over af Klint's life and work as she strove to achieve what she called the "mystery knowledge" of the world beyond the known.

The examination of Hilma af Klint's diaries and their connection to her artistic vision reveals a deeply complex philosophy of life that she sought to express through her paintings. Her nephew's efforts to bring this hidden message to light have shed new light on the artist's creative process and her intentions for the future curation of her work.

The depth and breadth of Hilma af Klint's artistic exploration of the occult, from theosophy to Rosicrucianism, have made her a pivotal figure in the understanding of modern art and its relationship to the spiritual realm. This volume offers a comprehensive exploration of the artist's private thoughts and creative motivations, providing invaluable insight into the unique and captivating world of Hilma af Klint's art.

product information: