Hilma af Klint : Les peintures du Temple 1906-1915

Exhibition at the Grand Palais, Paris, 6 May – 30 August 2026

The visionary world of Hilma af Klint (1862–1944), a pioneer of abstraction who remained in the shadows for many years, has revolutionised the chronology of modern art. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, the Swedish artist led a dual artistic life: a figurative practice in keeping with the expectations of her time and, in secret, a radically avant-garde body of work, inspired by theosophy and spiritualism, exploring cosmic harmony and invisible forces. As early as 1906, long before Kandinsky or Malevich, she created bold compositions in which vivid colours, geometric shapes and organic motifs foreshadowed the major movements of modern art.

Hilma af Klint had chosen to keep her abstract works hidden, having them sealed away for twenty years after her death. It was not until 1986 and the exhibition *The Spiritual in Art* in Los Angeles that her work was finally revealed to the general public.

This catalogue of the first monographic exhibition dedicated to Hilma af Klint presents her magnum opus: the cycle of Temple Paintings (1906–1915), including the monumental series The Ten Greatest. It also highlights the many sources of her inspiration (esotericism, folk art, scientific culture) and examines the long-overlooked role of women in the history of modern art.