Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) was a Swedish artist who is most well known for her abstract paintings which were inspired by her Spiritism and Theosophy. She received classical art training at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. Her early works include botanical illustrations as well as landscapes and portraiture. Af Klint began creating abstract works long before famous abstract artists such as Kandinsky and Mondrian. Her abstract paintings explored spirituality, cycles of life, spirals, geometry, and color theory. Af Klint kept her collection of abstract paintings hidden from the public and it is a fairly recent discovery that she was the first western artist to create paintings that were purely abstract.
Paintings by Hilma af Klint in Chronological Order: