The Easel

Archives: Annikka Olsen

10th June 2025

Hilma af Klint’s Botanical Drawings Probe Spiritualism and the Unknown

Hilma Af Klint’s large abstract paintings of geometric and organic shapes were inspired by her spiritual beliefs. In mid-career, she found another source of inspiration – seasonal flora. These watercolours on paper have the intricacy of scientific illustrations but placed next to each plant was a pictogram. Her objective was to compile a kind of botanical atlas that showed the spiritual character of each plant. A “jewel box exhibition … a seemingly growing resonance with contemporary audiences.”