Swedish artist Hilma af Klint has emerged as one of the most internationally recognized art figures of the past decade, despite having been dead for more than 80 years. Her remarkable journey from complete obscurity to global acclaim represents one of the most dramatic rediscoveries in modern art history.
Just over a decade ago, practically no one in the world had ever heard of af Klint's name, let alone seen any of her more than 1,200 paintings and drawings. It wasn't until 2013, with the groundbreaking exhibition "Hilma af Klint – A Pioneer of Abstraction" at Stockholm's Moderna Museet, that she first became publicly known. From that moment, her canonization proceeded with remarkable speed, transforming her into a household name in the art world.
The timing of this recognition is particularly significant given af Klint's deep religiosity, whose intensity, esotericism, and rigor have become central themes in recent discussions of her work. Alice Gregory's recent New Yorker piece explores the artist's work, legacy, and newfound popularity, highlighting the fascinating fact that none of her pieces have ever been available for sale. This unique circumstance has added to the mystique surrounding her artistic output.
The uncannily modern, ahead-of-its-time aesthetic appeal of af Klint's work is undeniable. However, equally important is the relative scarcity of widespread knowledge about the details of her life and thought. This gap has allowed many of her suddenly devoted 21st-century fans to project their own preferred artistic, philosophical, and social narratives onto her work and persona.
What makes af Klint's story particularly compelling is that, having been born in 1862, she was decidedly not a 21st-century woman. She barely belonged to the 20th century, or indeed to any conventional worldly time period at all. The complex and seemingly contradictory worldview that inspired her artwork remains practically inaccessible to contemporary audiences, even for those who attempt to navigate through the 26,000 journal pages she left behind.
In her investigation, Gregory interviews a dedicated individual – possibly the only one of his kind – a nonprofit CEO and af Klint scholar committed to dispelling the myths that have readily accumulated around the artist. One significant myth he addresses is the idea that she worked in complete isolation. Evidence suggests that some paintings attributed to her may actually have been executed by other members of her spiritualist circle, known as "The Five."
Despite these scholarly revelations that challenge popular perceptions of af Klint as a solitary genius, her appeal remains undiminished. Even if future research reveals that she wasn't entirely a movement of one, her name will undoubtedly continue to draw sold-out crowds to museum exhibitions for years to come. Her transformation from forgotten figure to art world sensation demonstrates the power of rediscovery in reshaping our understanding of art history and the pioneers who helped define abstract art.
