Key Works: Hilma af Klint

These works by the early 20th–century, Swiss artist Hilma af Klint are representative of her secret oeuvre that was not uncovered until the 1960s, 20 years after her death. Hilma af Klint purposefully kept these works secret, fearing that society would not accept their abstract nature. Despite making a living selling more traditional paintings, Hilma af Klint painted these works as a means to access spiritual and mystical forces. She would paint freely and continuously without planning the canvas beforehand, as if allowing a spirit to possess her hand.