The Grand Palais has just opened the first French exhibition about Hilma af Klint (1862-1944), a Swedish painter who was much overlooked (partly because she forbade her art to be seen until 20 years after her death), but revolutionised abstract art and prepared the ground for surrealism.

The exhibition at the Grand Palais concentrates on the period between 1906 and 1915, when af Klint created her ‘Temple paintings’, and the story behind them is an odd one.

In 1896, together with four other women, she formed a group called ‘The Five’ (de Fem), who met weekly to pray, meditate and commune with beings from another dimension called ‘The High Masters’, who asked that they create paintings for ‘the Temple’.

Af Klint never really understood what exactly this was, but she went on to create extraordinary images with cryptic forms and animals that she believed were not really her creations, but rather came through her, dictated by these mysterious beings. Little did she know that the Temple Paintings would become her most accomplished work.

French-speakers might like to watch this new documentary about the artist created specially for the exhibition by TV channel Arte…

And if you’d like to be able to admire the work of Hilma af Klint in the comfort of your own home, the exhibition catalogue (320 pages, 45€) is available here at your local Amazon.

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The exhibition Hilma af Klint – Paintings for the Temple (1906-1915) is at the Grand Palais (here) until 30^th August 2026

Open every day except Mondays from 10am-7.30pm (10pm Fridays). Closed 14^th July

Admission: 15€ / 12€

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