Hilma af Klint: The Paintings for the Temple 1906–1915: Catalogue Raisonné Volume II

The second installment in an epic and authoritative seven-volume Hilma af Klint catalogue raisonné presents the pioneering abstractionist's beloved The Paintings for the Temple series. Between 1906 and 1915, Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) created 193 paintings that she would title The Paintings for the Temple. These colorful, mostly abstract works with biomorphic imagery expressed af Klint's mediumistic vision of spiritual reality, which she hoped would ultimately be installed in a round temple for true spiritual comprehension and enlightenment. Since the internationally acclaimed Guggenheim exhibition of 2018-19, these works have come to number among her most popular, defining and beloved.

This handsomely produced clothbound volume collects these paintings in the second of a projected and collectible seven-volume catalogue raisonné that will present the entirety of af Klint's work in its dazzling totality for the first time. Produced in cooperation with the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation, it features introductions by Daniel Birnbaum, former head of Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden, and architect of the grand af Klint exhibitions between 2013 and 2019, and Kurt Almqvist, President of the Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation for Public Benefit.

The Paintings for the Temple series represents a pivotal moment in the career of Hilma af Klint, a pioneering abstract artist whose work has only recently begun to receive the widespread recognition it deserves. Born in Sweden in 1862, af Klint was deeply interested in the spiritual and occult, and her paintings were often informed by her participation in séances and her experiences as a medium.

In the early 1900s, af Klint began creating a series of large, abstract paintings that she believed were channels for spiritual energies and forces. These works, which she collectively titled The Paintings for the Temple, were intended to be installed in a circular temple that would serve as a site of spiritual enlightenment and contemplation. Af Klint's vision for this temple was never realized during her lifetime, but the paintings themselves have become some of her most celebrated and influential works.

The Paintings for the Temple series is characterized by its vibrant colors, organic shapes, and symbolic imagery. Many of the paintings feature biomorphic forms that suggest the natural world, while others incorporate geometric patterns and esoteric symbols. Af Klint's use of color is particularly striking, with rich hues of blue, green, and yellow often dominating the canvases.

Despite the spiritual and esoteric nature of the work, the Paintings for the Temple series also anticipates many of the formal innovations of 20th-century abstract art. Af Klint's use of non-representational imagery, her emphasis on the materiality of paint, and her exploration of large-scale, immersive compositions all foreshadow the developments of artists like Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, and Jackson Pollock.

The significance of The Paintings for the Temple series has only become more apparent in recent years, as the art world has begun to recognize the importance of Hilma af Klint's pioneering contributions to the history of abstraction. The 2018-19 Guggenheim exhibition, which brought together a vast selection of af Klint's work, was a landmark event that helped to cement her reputation as a visionary and influential artist.

This new catalogue raisonné volume, the second in a series of seven, represents an important step in the ongoing effort to document and preserve af Klint's remarkable artistic legacy. With its high-quality reproductions, insightful essays, and comprehensive scholarly apparatus, this book will be an essential resource for anyone interested in the life and work of this pioneering abstract artist.

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