Spiritual botanical studies

The Swede Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) is considered a pioneer of abstract painting and an outstanding painter of the early 20th century. Her works only became internationally known in the 1980s, as she rarely exhibited her work throughout her life. From 1917, af Klint began a new kind of self-study, as the previous direction of her art no longer satisfied her. She devoted herself to nature studies, which she combined with elements of her spiritual, abstract painting, thus also depicting the spiritual powers of plants. The artist was convinced that the study of nature paved the way to understanding the human being. The exhibition Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers at the Museum of Modern Art in New York focuses on the years 1917 to 1922, when the portfolio Nature Studies was also created. The portfolio of 46 botanical drawings was recently discovered and is being exhibited here for the first time. Further works and previously unknown texts by the artist place the drawings in a larger context. The exhibition will be on display from May 11 to September 27.

The exhibition demonstrates for the first time Hilma af Klint's extensive knowledge of plants and fungi and how this knowledge influenced her artistic practice. Further insights, such as the results of the first technical analysis of af Klint's materials and methods used in her drawings, make the show a unique experience. A facsimile of the Nature Studies portfolio will be published in a limited edition of 500 copies to accompany the exhibition.