The Swan (No. 16) 1915

Hilma af Klint painted The Swan, No. 16 with oil and gold leaf on canvas. It’s one of a series of nearly 200 abstract paintings made between 1906 and 1915. Klint was working at a time of great social and intellectual change in Europe, which included the rise of the Theosophical Society, which promoted spiritualism and the search for universal truths beyond the material world. Sweden had its own context, with growing calls for women's suffrage and broader social reform movements. The Swan is a deeply symbolic composition, divided by contrasting colors. The title refers to the swan as a symbol of transcendence and spiritual transformation, ideas very much in line with the Theosophical Society. Klint left instructions that her abstract paintings should not be shown until twenty years after her death. Looking at this strange, compelling image, the social historian is left to ask: What social norms was she challenging, and what future audience did she imagine for her art? To fully understand her artistic vision, we need to consult the social history of the early twentieth century.