See Hilma af Klint’s First Major Solo Exhibit In France

Even though created in the early 20th century, paintings by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint showcase palettes that feel contemporary even now, their dusty pinks and purples, verdant greens and oranges, saffron yellows, and pale blues arranged in spirals, circles, grids, and architectural symmetries. Her use of color, geometry, and radical abstraction transformed early modern art. But it wasn’t until the late 1980’s that she began to rise to her international renown of today. That’s partly because history has long overlooked women artists and their contributions to foundational movements but also because af Klint kept her avant-garde pieces secret, only painting conventional landscapes and portraits publicly, and stating in her will that her works must remain sealed for 20 years after her death, believing audiences were not yet ready for them. All this and more is explored in “Paintings for the Temple (1906-1915),” at the Grand Palais in Paris this summer, remarkably, the artist’s first major solo exhibition in France. The 100 pieces, including her monumental The Ten Largest series, highlight her many sources of inspiration—from theosophy and folklore to esotericism and séances with a women’s group called the Five—and her visionary ability to merge art, science, and spirituality.

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