03/25/2025
In the summer of 1986, a Swedish farmer stumbled upon something extraordinary in his abandoned country house—a dusty basement filled with large wooden crates. When he opened them, he was stunned to find 1,200 paintings, many of them featuring bold geometric shapes in vibrant colors. Unsure of their significance, he called a neighbor, but even this person couldn't comprehend the discovery. Eventually, a museum curator confirmed that the paintings were by Hilma af Klint, a Swedish artist who had created these works decades earlier. What made the discovery even more remarkable was that these abstract paintings predated the work of famous abstract artists like Kandinsky, Malevitch, and Mondrian, making Hilma a true pioneer in the field of abstract art.
Hilma Klint, born in 1862, was deeply influenced by her upbringing. Her father, a mathematician, had a large library, where she developed an early interest in geometry and art. After attending the Swedish Academy of Fine Arts, Hilma became a successful portrait and landscape painter, but her true passion lay in exploring the spiritual and abstract realms. Inspired by the scientific breakthroughs of her time and the spiritualism movement, Hilma began experimenting with abstract forms, creating works that were guided by what she believed were energies from alternate dimensions. She kept these works secret, fearing they would ruin her reputation as a serious artist, leading her to live a double life as both a conventional artist and a creator of groundbreaking abstract art.
Hilma’s decision to keep her abstract works hidden from the public was a mystery, but she made it clear in her will that her paintings should not be opened until 20 years after her death. She may have believed that the world wasn't ready for her avant-garde vision, or that her work was too personal to share. Unfortunately, her grandson, the heir to her art, passed away before the paintings could be revealed, leaving the works hidden for many years until their discovery in 1986. By then, the world of art had fully embraced abstract movements, and Hilma af Klint's visionary contributions were finally recognized, establishing her as a true foremother of abstract art.
