Hilma af Klint
Hilma af Klint (born October 26, 1862 at Karlberg Castle in Solna , † October 21, 1944 in Djursholm ) was a Swedish painter . She is a pioneer of abstract painting and is considered one of the outstanding painters of the early 20th century. She never exhibited her large oeuvre , which was inspired by theosophical occultism , and decreed that it should not be exhibited until 20 years after her death at the earliest. It was not until the 1980s that her works became internationally known and recognized.
life and work
Childhood, school and education
Hilma af Klint was born as the fourth child of Mathilda Sonntag († 1920) and Victor af Klint († 1898) at Karlberg Castle . The father was an officer in the Swedish Navy and the family was wealthy. In 1872 the von Karlberg family moved to Nortullsgatan in Stockholm ; at Riddargatan she attended a girls' school.
From 1880 to 1882 she also learned portrait painting from Kerstin Cardon at the Swedish Art School . She was among the first painters who at the Royal Academy of Arts in Stockholm 1882-1887 painting studied after this institution from 1864 also women in the arts had granted access. Her teachers there were among others Georg von Rosen and August Malmström .
After graduating from the art academy in 1887, Hilma af Klint painted in her own studio. At first she created naturalistic landscapes and portraits according to her academic training and often to order. Hilma af Klint remained unmarried and childless.
Occult Influences, Spiritual Search
The early death of her sister Hermione increased her interest in religion and spiritism . As early as 1879, at the age of seventeen, Hilma af Klint took part in séances . Like many artists and intellectuals of her generation, she was interested in theosophy and in 1888 she joined the Theosophical Society (TG) and in 1895, after the split, followed the Theosophical Society Adyar (Adyar-TG). In Edvard Munch , who had an exhibition in the immediate vicinity of her studio in 1894, she was interested in how he expressed mental states through painting. Painting beyond naturalistic expression was the result for them. In search of a spiritual dimension, also in art, from 1886 she regularly took part with four other women in meetings of the group “De Fem” (“The Five”); in this community she herself functioned as a medium . The group documented their experiences in notebooks and practiced long before the Surrealists , the automatic drawing and writing .
From 1900 to 1901 she was employed as a draftsman and painter at the "Veterinärinstitutet" (University of Veterinary Medicine). In November 1906, earlier than the artists generally considered to be pioneers of abstract painting, she painted the first series of small-format abstract pictures. It marks the beginning of a creative period that later culminated in the large-format series Paintings for the Temple , a project that ultimately comprised 193 paintings, most of them abstract, her central oeuvre.
Anthroposophy
In 1908 Hilma af Klint met Rudolf Steiner for the first time , at that time still General Secretary of the German Section of the Theosophical Society , who was visiting Sweden. She hoped for interpretations of her paintings from him. Steiner visited her studio, did not interpret or analyze her works and was critical of the nature of her media inspiration. As a result, she completely stopped painting for four years, with the exception of one portrait in 1910.
When she worked on the temple series in 1912 , Hilma af Klint was less dependent on media influences. Her compositions seem increasingly strict: the organic structures of earlier years gave way to geometric shapes. She turned more and more to Steiner's anthroposophy and in 1920 she joined the Anthroposophical Society . After the death of her almost blind mother, who had looked after her for years, she had more time to travel and visited the first Goetheanum in Dornach , where she met Steiner again. In the following decades she stayed at the Goetheanum several times for months. After turning to anthroposophy, she developed a style influenced by it in the 1920s.
During her lifetime, Hilma af Klint prohibited any exhibition of her abstract works and decreed in her will that they could not be shown publicly until 20 years after her death. A large number of the works were not known to the public for a long time and were stored with her nephew and heir Erik af Klint. At the beginning of the 1980s, this made the collection accessible to a few art historians and theologians. Ultimately, her complete oeuvre of more than a thousand works and 125 notebooks came into the care of the Hilma af Klints Verk in Stockholm, which has
managed and published it to this day (as of 2020) . According to the painter's will, a precisely defined central bundle of her works may never be sold.reception
It was the Swedish art historian Åke Fant who made Hilma af Klint known in the international art world in the 1980s. He presented Hilma af Klint in 1984 at a Nordic conference in Helsinki. Two years later, in 1986, some of her works were shown side by side with pioneers of abstract art such as Kandinsky , Malevich , Mondrian and Picabia in The Spiritual in Art exhibition set up by Maurice Tuchman in Los Angeles, Chicago and The Hague Fant wrote the article in the catalog. In the German-speaking area, af Klint was first introduced to the public interested in art at the large exhibition Occultism and Avant-garde 1995 in Frankfurt.
Extensive catalogs were published for the major retrospective in 2013 at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, which was then shown at the Hamburger Bahnhof in Berlin, the Museo Picasso in Málaga and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art , Humlebæk, Denmark. Many works were shown in this traveling exhibition for the first time around 100 years after their creation. Also in 2013 some works by Hilma af Klint were exhibited at the Venice Biennale .
In 2018 the Guggenheim in New York City showed a retrospective of the artist. In 2018 the documentary film Beyond the Visible by director Halina Dyrschka about the life and work of the painter was made.
As art-historical evidence for her entire work, it is cited that part of the visual language of abstract art was influenced by occult art. Hilma af Klint is regarded as a pioneer of both abstract and mystical art.
literature
- Åke Fant: The case of the artist Hilma af Klint. In: Maurice Tuchman, Judi Freeman (eds.): The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890–1985. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles 1986, ISBN 0-87587-130-5 .
- Åke Fant: Occultism and Abstraction: The painter Hilma af Klint (1862–1944). Albertina, Vienna 1992, ISBN 3-900656-17-7 .
- Åke Fant: Secret Pictures by Hilma af Klint. The Nordic Arts Center, Helsinki 1988-1989, ISBN 951-96051-6-9 .
- John Hutchinson et al. (Ed.): Hilma af Klint, the Greatness of Things. Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin 2005, ISBN 0-907660-99-1 .
- Claudia Dichter u. a. (Ed.): The Message. Art and occultism. With an essay by André Breton . Catalog for the exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Bochum . Walther König, Cologne 2007, ISBN 978-3-86560-342-5 .
- Ronald Jones, Liv Stoltz: Spirited Away; Occultist, mystic, painter: the life and legacy of Hilma af Klint. In Frieze . No. 135, November 2010 (English, online ).
- Iris Müller-Westermann (Ed.): Hilma af Klint. A pioneer of abstraction. Catalog for the exhibition at the Moderna Museet . Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern 2013, ISBN 978-3-7757-3489-9 (English); German edition Hilma af Klint. Pioneer of abstraction. ISBN 978-3-7757-3488-2 ; Swedish edition Hilma af Klint. Abstract pioneer.
- Daniel Birnbaum , Ann-Sofi Noring: The Legacy of Hilma Af Klint: Nine Contemporary Responses. Walther König, Cologne 2013, ISBN 978-3-86335-343-8 .
- Julia Voss : Hilma af Klint - astonish mankind. Biography. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2020, ISBN 978-3-10-397367-9 .
Exhibitions
Participation in exhibitions during his lifetime
- Konst- och industriutställning, Norrköping, 1906
- Konst- och industriutställning, Lund, 1907
- Svenska konstnärinnor , Konstakademien, Stockholm, 1911
- Baltiska utställningen, Malmö, 1914
- Konstföreningen för södra Sverige och Konstnärernas förening, 1914
Solo exhibitions posthumously (selection)
- Hilma af Klints hemliga pictures , Nordiskt Konstcentrum, Helsinki, Finland; PS 1 , New York; Listasafn National Gallery, Reykjavík, Iceland; Galleri F 15, Moss, Norway
- Ockult målarinna och abstract pionjär , Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Göteborgs Konsthall, Göteborg; Fyns Art Museum, 1989–1991
- The secret signs of Hilma af Klint. Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Arnhem. March to May 2010 (59 paintings)
- Beyond Color . inside lake! Color! - Four solo exhibitions at the Kulturforum Järna, Sweden with James Turrell , Rudolf Steiner May to October 2011
- Hilma af Klint - Abstract pioneering. Moderna Museet, Stockholm, February 16 to May 26, 2013;
- Hilma af Klint. Pioneer of abstraction. Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart , June 15 to October 6, 2013 afterwards: Museo Picasso , Málaga, Spain; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art , Humlebæck, Denmark, 2013–2014.
- Cosa mental , Center Pompidou, Metz October 28, 2015 to March 28, 2016
- Hilma af Klint: Painting the Unseen , Serpentine Gallery , London, March 3 - May 15, 2016
- Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future , Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum , New York, USA. October 12, 2018 to January 27, 2019
Exhibition participation posthumously (selection)
- The Spiritual in Art, Abstract Painting 1890–1985 , Los Angeles County Museum of Art , Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago , Gemeentemuseum, The Hague , Netherlands, 1986–1987
- Occultism and avant-garde - from Munch to Mondrian, 1900–1915 , Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt am Main , 1995
- Rudolf Steiner; everyday alchemy , Wolfsburg Art Museum ; Stuttgart Art Museum ; Dox Center Prague, Vitra Design Museum Weil am Rhein, 2011–2013
- L'Europe des Esprits , Zentrum Paul Klee , Bern, 2012
- La règle et l'intuition , L'abbaye de Montmajour , Arles, April 3 - September 18, 2016
- The Keeper , New Museum of Contemporary Art , New York, July 20 - October 2, 2016
- Beyond the Stars - Mystical Landscapes from Monet to Kandinsky , Musée d'Orsay , Paris, March 13th - June 25th 2017
- Jardin infini. De Giverny à l'Amazonie , Center Pompidou, Metz , March 18 - August 28, 2017
- Weltempfänger , Lenbachhaus , November 6, 2018 to March 10, 2019
Movies
- Film about Hilma af Klint (Swedish, with English subtitles, 22 min.)
- Hilma af Klint and her work are presented in the film Personal Shopper , directed by Olivier Assayas, film premiere in Germany on January 19, 2017, Hilma af Klint in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint , original title Bortom det synliga - filmen om Hilma af Klint / Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint , Director: Halina Dyrschka , Sweden / Germany / Switzerland / UK 2019, Beyond the Visible - Hilma af Klint in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Web links
- Biographical entry in the online documentation of the anthroposophical research center Kulturimpuls
- Hilma af Klint on kunstaspekte.de
- Examples of abstract art (English)
- Julia Voss: The conqueror of the throne . In: FAZ , April 18, 2011 (with images of the preliminary study for the cycle The ten largest from 1907, a diary page with drawings from 1919, The Swan from 1920 and a photo by the artist)
- Beat Wyss : Not mature enough for your message . In: Cicero , October 6, 2013
- Gesine Borcherdt: The secret of Hilma af Klint is out . In: welt.de, May 27, 2020
Footnotes and individual references
- ↑ a b Roberta Smith: 'Hilma Who?' No More - Spiritual sparks helped inspire the radical and visionary art of Hilma af Klint, the new (old) name to know. Her work is on view at the Guggenheim. In: New York Times . October 11, 2018, accessed March 4, 2020 .
- ^ Kathleen Hall: Theosophy and the Society in the Public Eye - Hilma af Klint. In: Theosophy Forward. March 17, 2014, accessed March 4, 2020 .
- ↑ a b Iris Müller-Westermann (Ed.): Hilma af Klint. A pioneer of abstraction. Catalog for the exhibition at Moderna Museet, Stockholm 2013. Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern 2013, ISBN 978-3-7757-3489-9 , p. 278.
- ↑ About Hilma af Klint. Hilma af Klint Foundation, accessed March 4, 2020 (English, Swedish).
- ↑ Åke Fant: Secret Pictures by Hilma Klint . Ed .: Stiftelsen Hilma af Klints Verk, Stockholm. 1988, ISBN 951-96051-6-9 , pp. 3.2–3.3 (Swedish, Finnish, English: Hilma af Klint's Hemliga pictures .).
- ↑ Hilma af Klint. A pioneer of abstraction - Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart - Berlin. Friends of the National Gallery, accessed on March 4, 2020 (for the exhibition from June 15, 2013 - October 6, 2013).
- ↑ Hilma af Klint till Venice Biennale 2013. Moderna Museet Stockholm, May 23, 2013, accessed on March 4, 2020 (Swedish, reference to the exhibition at the 2013 Biennale).
- ↑ Hannes Klug: Drop the form. In: Junge Welt . March 9, 2020, p. 10 , accessed March 9, 2020 .
- ^ Sixten Ringbom: Transcending the Visible: The Generation of the Abstract Pionieers. The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890–1985. Los Angeles, New York, 1986
- ↑ Åke Fant: Secret Pictures by Hilma Klint . Ed .: Stiftelsen Hilma af Klints Verk, Stockholm. 1988, ISBN 951-96051-6-9 , pp. 3,4 (Swedish, Finnish, English: Hilma af Klint's Hemliga pictures .).
- ↑ Till Briegleb: Higher beings command! art-magazin.de, 4/2013
- ^ Hilma af Klint - A pioneer of abstraction. Moderna Museet Stockholm, archived from the original on October 14, 2012 ; accessed on January 8, 2013 (English, description).
- ^ Gerrit Gohlke: Exhibition "Hilma af Klint" - Big, Radical, Forgotten. In: The time . June 13, 2013, accessed March 4, 2020 .
- ↑ Hilma af Klint - A pioneer of abstraction. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin , accessed on March 4, 2020 (for the exhibition at Hamburger Bahnhof - Museum für Gegenwart , Berlin, June 15 to October 6, 2013).
- ^ Hilma af Klint - A Pioneer of Abstraction. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art , Denmark, accessed March 4, 2020 (English, for exhibition March 7 to July 6, 2014).
- ^ Hilma af Klint: Painting the Unseen. Serpentine Gallery , accessed on March 4, 2020 (English, for the exhibition from March 3 to May 15, 2016).
- ^ Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum , accessed March 4, 2020 (English, exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, October 12, 2018 to January 27, 2019).
- ↑ The keeper. New Museum of Contemporary Art , accessed March 4, 2020 (exhibition July 20 - October 2, 2016).
- ↑ Beyond the Stars - Mystical Landscapes from Monet to Kandinsky, Musée d'Orsay ( Memento from January 21, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Klint, Hilma af |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swedish painter, spiritualist, theosophist and anthroposophist |
DATE OF BIRTH | October 26, 1862 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Solna , Sweden |
DATE OF DEATH | October 21, 1944 |
Place of death | Djursholm , Sweden |