Hilma af Klint: The Blue Books: Catalogue Raisonné Volume III

The third volume of the artist's catalogue raisonné collects the sketches Hilma af Klint made in preparation for her masterwork, The Paintings for the Temple. Af Klint rarely exhibited her work during her lifetime, and her magnum opus was only shown to the public in a series of exhibitions that started in 2013 at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm and ended with a grand exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2018-19. The series of 193 paintings began with af Klint receiving communication from an otherworldly figure during a séance. Specific themes, such as evolution and duality, are conveyed through vivid pastel color schemes and intricate geometric patterns arranged carefully on canvases that reach over ten feet in height.

This volume, the third in the artist's first seven-part catalogue raisonné, contains the sketches and preparatory work af Klint made in anticipation of The Paintings for the Temple. Af Klint traveled with these sketchbooks so as to be able to show her friends her work in a more accessible format. The careful arrangement of the vivid pastel color schemes and intricate geometric patterns on the large canvases reflects the specific themes, such as evolution and duality, that were communicated to af Klint during the séance that inspired the creation of this magnum opus.

The Paintings for the Temple was a significant work in af Klint's oeuvre, and this third volume of the catalogue raisonné provides an opportunity to examine the preparatory sketches and studies that led to the creation of this remarkable series of paintings. The accessibility of the sketchbooks, which af Klint carried with her to share with friends, offers a unique glimpse into the artist's creative process and the development of her artistic vision. Through the careful curation and presentation of these materials, readers can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the depth and complexity of af Klint's artistic practice.

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