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Julia Voss

Hilma af Klint: A Biography

Hilma af Klint: A Biography

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  • More about Hilma af Klint: A Biography

Hilma af Klint, a Swedish painter who broke with academic tradition in the late 19th century, is the subject of a new biography. She was a successful woman artist, clairvoyant, and mystic who studied Theosophy and produced abstract works that were ahead of their time. Her 2018 exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City attracted more than 600,000 visitors, making it the most-attended show in the museum's history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 448 pages
Publication date: 19 October 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press


The enigmatic and popular Swedish painter Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) defied the traditional academic training she received and embarked on a unique artistic journey. While her naturalistic landscapes and botanical works garnered recognition during her lifetime, her body of radical, abstract works remained relatively unnoticed. However, it is now widely acknowledged that af Klint created some of the earliest abstract paintings by a trained European artist.

But her story extends beyond her artistic achievements. Af Klint was not just a successful woman artist; she was also an avowed clairvoyant and mystic. Like many artists of her time who explored abstract painting, she delved into the teachings of Theosophy, which posits that science, art, and religion are interconnected reflections of an underlying life-form that can be harnessed through meditation, study, and experimentation.

In contrast to the later declarations of Kandinsky, Mondrian, and Malevich as the inventors of abstraction, af Klint was already working in a non-representational mode, creating a powerful visual language that continues to resonate with audiences today. Her work was showcased to a global audience in 2018 when her exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City drew over 600,000 visitors, making it the most-attended show in the museum's history.

Despite her immense popularity, a comprehensive biography of af Klint had yet to be written until now. Inspired by her first encounter with the artist's work in 2008, Julia Voss embarked on a journey to learn Swedish and delve into af Klint's life, seeking to uncover not only the artist's identity but also the driving forces and inspirations that shaped her artistic journey.

The result is a captivating and insightful biography that delves into the life and work of Hilma af Klint, revealing her as an artist who is both remarkable and enigmatic. Voss's dedication to her research and her ability to convey the essence of af Klint's personality and artistic vision make this biography a must-read for anyone interested in the history of art and the fascinating world of the mystic painter.

Weight: 818g
Dimension: 161 x 237 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226689760

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