Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor drawing by Hilma af Klint. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1920, this work belongs to a series of forty‑six drawings by Swedish painter Hilma af Klint. Executed on light‑beige paper, the piece combines watercolor, pencil, ink, gouache and metallic paint, producing a network of red, blue and black lines that intersect and coil across the surface.
Subject & Meaning
The composition consists of abstract, intertwining lines that suggest organic growth or tangled roots, without representing any recognizable subject. Af Klint’s interest in spiritual and esoteric ideas informs the diagrammatic quality of the drawing, which functions as a visual exploration of unseen forces rather than a narrative scene.
Technique & Style
Af Klint employed a mixed‑media approach, layering transparent watercolor washes with opaque gouache and metallic pigments, then defining forms with ink and pencil. The resulting effect is a delicate, semi‑transparent network where colors overlap, creating depth while retaining the immediacy of a sketch‑like gesture.
History & Provenance
The drawing is part of a larger portfolio assembled late in af Klint’s career, a period when she was producing a prolific series of abstract works. The entire collection was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art, where it remains in the institution’s permanent holdings.
Context
Af Klint worked with a circle known as "The Five," a group of women artists who shared an interest in Theosophy and spiritual communication through séances. Their collaborative investigations encouraged the translation of metaphysical concepts into visual forms, a practice evident in this series of abstract drawings.
Legacy
Although created before the widely recognized abstract experiments of Kandinsky and Mondrian, af Klint’s drawings anticipate later developments in non‑representational art. The portfolio’s preservation at MoMA highlights its importance as an early example of systematic abstract inquiry.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hilma af Klint (Swedish:; 26 October 1862 – 21 October 1944) was a Swedish artist and mystic whose paintings are considered to be among the first major abstract works in Western art history.
