Episode 14: Our Lady of Purpose - Hilma af Klint - “The Ten Largest / Paintings for the Temple”, 1907 - Part 1
Adulthood, The Ten Largest, No. 6, Group IV., Hilma af Klint. Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5” (h) x 8” (w) feet.
After a summer hiatus, Stephanie Dueñas and Russell Shoemaker (finally) discuss Swedish painter Hilma af Klint’s journey to abstraction, from a young girl in Navy Cadet school to an accomplished, individual, and independent female artist - a rare combination in the 19th century.
Hilma is often sensationalized as a mystical hermit artist who spoke to ghosts, or as the inventor of abstract art - both of which sound sexy for an exhibition - but do a disservice to an artist who worked with such intentionality and purpose throughout her life.
Hilma's interest in the unseen, science, religion, clairvoyance, and meditation would lead her to find the connective threads between representation and abstraction.
For example, like in The Ten Largest ; Ten giant, powerful, and vibrant paintings, while deeply personal to her, have a universal message everyone can connect to.
Topics include Madame Helena Blavatsky, Theosophy, weenies, God Bod, astral chore coats, ice-cream sampling, Swedish Melodic Death Metal Band De Fem, and pony parties.
Our Art Pantry of the week is Automatic Drawing.
The song featured in this episode was ‘Kāra’ by Hninja which can be found here. Consider supporting their work!
Consider subscribing and leaving us a review on apple podcasts.
“Self Portrait”, Watercolor on paper, date unknown.
Portrait of Hilma c. 1901
Hilma at the Royal Academy of Arts, Stockholm, 1885 at age 20.
Summer Landscape, 1888. Oil on canvas.
Hilma af Klint, Study of Spiral Staircase, 1880.
Graphite on paper. 26” x 19”.
Untitled, c.1890s. Watercolor and ink on paper.
Untitled, undated c. 1890s. Watercolor and ink on paper
Young Hilma c. 1870s
Hilma af Klint c. 1890
Seance room where The Five would gather in Stockholm, c. 1890s.
Madame Blavatsky, founder of Theosophy.
An automatic drawing by De Fem, c. 1903-04.
An automatic drawing by De Fem, 1903.
Postcard of the Kunstragården, a park near Hilma’s studio in the cultural hub of Stockholm. c. 1890s.
View of Southern Stockholm, c. late 19th century.
Hilma in her Stockholm studio, c. 1895.
Hilma dressed up in costume, 1905.
Primordial Chaos, No. 15, Group I , Hilma af Klint. 1906. Oil on canvas. 21” x 15”.
Primordial Chaos, No. 25, Group I , Hilma af Klint. 1906. Oil on canvas. 21” x 15”.
Still from the documentary Beyond the Visible (2019); a re-enactment of Hilma painting The Ten Largest.
Childhood, The Ten Largest, No. 1, Group IV., Hilma af Klint. Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
Childhood, The Ten Largest, No. 2, Group IV., Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
Youth, The Ten Largest, No. 3, Group IV. , Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’
Youth, The Ten Largest, No. 4, Group IV. , Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
Adulthood, The Ten Largest, No. 5, Group IV., Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
Adulthood, The Ten Largest, No. 6, Group IV., Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’ .
Adulthood, The Ten Largest, No. 7, Group IV. , Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
Adulthood, The Ten Largest, No. 8, Group IV., Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
Old Age, The Ten Largest, No. 9, Group IV. , Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
Old Age, The Ten Largest, No. 10, Group IV. , Hilma af Klint.
Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. 10.5’ x 8’.
The Ten Largest exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in the record-breaking show Paintings for the Future in 2018.
