Hilma af Klint
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Hilma af Klint was a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings are considered to be among the first major abstract works in Western art history. A considerable body of her work predates the first pure
Portrait, c. 1901 or earlier
Eftersommar (Late Summer) an early naturalistic work, painted by af Klint in 1903, an example of the works she exhibited to the public during her lifetime
af Klint in her studio, c. 1895
Primordial Chaos, No. 16, 1906–07
Theosophy
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Theosophy is a religious movement established in the United States in the late 19th century. Founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and based largely on her writings, it draws heavily from
Hilma af Klint
…the first purely abstract compositions by Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian. She belonged to a group called "The Five", a circle of women inspired by Theosophy who shared a belief in the importance of trying to contact the "High Masters", often through séances. Her paintings, which sometimes resemble diagrams…
Blavatsky and Olcott, two of the founding members of the Theosophical Society
According to Theosophical teaching, each solar system is an emanation of a "Logos" or "Solar Deity", with planetary spirits each overseeing one of the planets.
Statue of Blavatsky and Olcott at Adyar
The Theosophical seal as door decoration in Budapest, Hungary