Hilma af Klint
Swedish artist (1862–1944)
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Key Takeaways
- Hilma af Klint ( Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhɪ̂lːma ˈɑːv ˈklɪnːt] ; 26 October 1862 – 21 October 1944) was a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings are considered to be among the first major abstract works in Western art history.
- She belonged to a group called "The Five", a circle of women inspired by Theosophy who shared a belief in the importance of trying to contact the "High Masters", often through séances.
- Early life Hilma af Klint was the fourth child of Mathilda af Klint (née Sonntag) and Captain Victor af Klint, a Swedish naval commander.
- In these idyllic surroundings, she came into contact with nature at an early age, and a deep association with natural forms was to become an inspiration in her work.
- Af Klint showed a great interest in mathematics and botany and an ability in visual art.
Hilma af Klint (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhɪ̂lːma ˈɑːv ˈklɪnːt]; 26 October 1862 – 21 October 1944) was a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings are considered to be among the first major abstract works in Western art history. A considerable body of her work predates the first purely abstract compositions by Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian. She belonged to a group called "The Five", a circle of women inspired by Theosophy who shared a belief in the importance of trying to contact the "High Masters", often through séances. Her paintings, which sometimes resemble diagrams, were a visual representation of complex spiritual ideas.
Early life
Hilma af Klint was the fourth child of Mathilda af Klint (née Sonntag) and Captain Victor af Klint, a Swedish naval commander. She spent summers with her family at their manor, "Hanmora", on the island of Adelsö on Lake Mälaren. In these idyllic surroundings, she came into contact with nature at an early age, and a deep association with natural forms was to become an inspiration in her work. Later in life, af Klint lived on Munsö, an island next to Adelsö.
Af Klint showed a great interest in mathematics and botany and an ability in visual art. After the family moved to Stockholm, she studied at Tekniska skolan (Technical School, now Konstfack) in Stockholm, where she studied portraiture and landscape painting.
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