Hilma af Klint: Artist and Visionary Publication

In 2026, the National Gallery of Ireland will stage the first ever major exhibition in Ireland dedicated to the far-sighted work of Hilma af Klint (1862-1944), the Swedish artist and mystic who many consider a pioneer of abstract art. 

Hilma af Klimt: Artist and Visionary will include 79 works by the artist, from her ground-breaking abstract works as well as portraits, early landscapes, plant-studies, late watercolours and an apocalyptic map of Great Britain. The works come from the collection of the Hilma af Klint Foundation which has partnered with the National Gallery of Ireland for this exhibition.

This accompanying publication will give a sense of the time and place that she grew up in; a turn-of-the-century explosion in spiritualism, a burgeoning Swedish arts scene, and a small but dedicated female friendship circle. This led to her creating a unique body of work, both alone and in collaboration, that would eventually include around 1,300 paintings and 124 notebooks of more than 26,000 typed and handwritten pages. 

It features an introductory essay by curator Janet McLean, a piece on how spirituality plays into Klint's work by art historian Pádraic E. Moore, and a deep dive into the watercolour works by Klint by CEO of the Hilma af Klint Foundation Jessica Höglund. 

Published by the National Gallery of Ireland

By Courtesy of the Hilma af Klint Foundation

Photo: The Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden

ISBN: 9781911716143