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

Annikka Olsen | Artnet | 15th May 2025

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.”