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The Ten Largest, No. 8, Adulthood oil, tempera and paper Hilma af Klint (1907)

Abstract Thinking: Theosophy and Art
By David Orr​


When the blockbuster exhibition of Hilma af Klint’s paintings, Paintings for the Future, opened at the Guggenheim Museum in the fall of 2018, the backstory had the feeling of prophecy. She was a relatively unknown painter who was ahead of her own time; in fact, she insisted that her work not be shown publicly until two decades after her death in order that culture might catch up. She pioneered abstraction well before the canonical male vanguard which included Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Kazimir Malevich, László Moholy-Nagy, and Piet Mondrian. Her work was barely seen for fifty years, and Klint imagined one day having her work installed in ‘a spiral temple.’ In light of this, Frank Lloyd Wright’s snail-shell design of the iconic Guggenheim rotunda seemed an uncanny venue. Indeed, Paintings for the Future seemed preordained. 

Yet a central influence on her life and work—and on all the early abstractionists mentioned above—was treated as a curiosity in the Guggenheim catalog: Theosophy.

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  • HOME
  • ABOUT PRS
    • Manly P. Hall >
      • Manly Hall, A Personal Perspective
    • PRS Board & Staff
    • Contributing Artists >
      • Guy Blakeslee
      • John Bucher
      • Sandra del Castillo
      • Devon Deimler
      • Edgar Fabian Frias
      • Mandy Kahn
      • David Orr
      • Marina Pacowski
      • Stephen Reedy
      • Fahad Siadat
      • Eliza Swann
    • Press
  • EVENTS
    • Past Events
    • Online Classes
    • Videos on Demand
  • EXHIBITIONS
  • Library
  • PRS Journal
    • Past Issues >
      • India
      • Winter Festivals
      • Water
      • The Veil
      • Harvest
      • Fire
      • Moon
      • Solar
      • Rebirth
    • Journal Subscribers >
      • Current Issue
      • Past Issues >
        • December - Winter Festivals
        • November - Water
        • October - The Veil
        • September-Harvest
        • August - Fire
        • July - Moon
        • June - Solar
        • May - Rebirth
    • Journal Submissions
  • Shop
    • New Arrivals
    • Best Sellers
    • PRS Merch
    • Books by Manly P. Hall >
      • The Secret Teachings
      • The Signature Editions
      • New Editions for Contemporary Seekers
      • Vintage Lecture Notes
      • MPH Essays
      • MPH Book SALE
      • Manly P. Hall Book Bundles
    • MPH Audio >
      • MPH Collection at BetterListen.com
    • MPH E-Books
    • Reprint Series curated by MPH
    • Books and Catalogs >
      • Dr. Obadiah Harris
    • Gifts & Curiosities >
      • Gift Cards
    • Tote Bags
    • Rare and Used Books
    • Symbolic Prints and Posters
    • Tarot, Oracle, and Affirmation Decks
    • Curbside Pickup
    • Shipping Update
  • Support
    • Volunteer
    • Roof Restoration Fundraiser
  • Rentals