Hilma af Klint
“The pictures were painted directly through me, without any preliminary drawings, and with great force. I had no idea what the paintings were supposed to depict; nevertheless I worked swiftly and surely, without changing a single brush stroke.” This is how Hilma af Klint, the Swedish Abstract Art pioneer, described one of her works. The suite called The Swan was painted in 1914 and 1915. These birds symbolize the ethereal element in many mythologies and religions. In alchemy, the swan represents the union of opposites necessary for the creation of what is known as the philosopher’s stone, a substance believed to be capable of turning base metals into gold. Here, af Klint’s black-and-white palette underscores the dualities of light and dark, male and female, life and death. With varying degrees of abstraction, through a black and a white swan striving for unity, Hilma af Klint explores the polarities in the painting.
March is Women's History Month. On this occasion, you can expect many women artists featured in DailyArt. In the long run, presenting women artists, often forgotten and neglected by art history, is a very important part of our DailyArt mission. :) Enjoy!
P.S. Hilma af Klint is a famous example of how Art History disappointed female artists. Read more about the true founder of Abstract Art.
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