The Ten Largest, No. 4, Youth, Group IV in a white frame on a wall
The Ten Largest, No. 4, Youth, Group IV in a white frame on a wall

The Ten Largest, No. 4, Youth, Group IV

Hilma af Klint
$85.00
Size

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details

Add Custom Frame

Frames ship to U.S. addresses only. Framed prints ship in 2–4 weeks and are final sale. Full framing details
Artist Statement

This limited-edition print is the ninth(!) af Klint to join our collection, and like the first it comes from a group of large scale, wall-dominating (nearly 10 foot by 9 foot) paintings called The Ten Largest—a subset of the artist’s series The Paintings for the Temple. Citing a spiritual force as the impetus behind the project and using her unique stylistic and symbolic vocabulary, af Klint set out to represent the various phases of the human life cycle in The Ten Largest, from early childhood through adulthood and old age. No. 4 directly follows No. 3 as the artist’s interpretation of the transitional period of youth.

Why We Love It

We’re excited to add No. 4 to the mix because it fleshes out more of the astonishingly considered, idiosyncratic ways af Klint communicated via the conduit of her paintbrush. Its bright orange background seems to swell like a full vein, churning with colorful shapes and the spirals and swirls af Klint often used to signify growth, or evolution of a metaphysical flavor. No. 4 is very much in flux and serves as an energetic counterpoint to paintings of adulthood No. 6 and No. 7, which incorporate some more established-feeling, diagrammatic elements and letterforms.

Each of af Klint’s works at its core is meditative. Without any knowledge of the beliefs and motifs behind each piece, you’re drawn into the paintings by meandering lines and strategic color composition. Whether by instinctual thought patterns or connecting to something divine through art, af Klint’s work offers a momentary abstract escape.

Details

+ Limited-edition, exclusive to 20x200
+ Museum quality: archival inks, 100% cotton rag paper unless noted
+ Handcrafted custom-framing is available

Our quoted dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. We do not alter the aspect ratio, nor do we crop or resize the artists’ originals. All of our prints have a minimum border of .5 inches to allow for framing.

Medium

Innova Soft White Cotton IFA 15

10"x8" | edition of 10
14"x11" | edition of 200
20"x16" | edition of 50
24"x20" | edition of 25

Portrait of Hilma af Klint

Hilma af Klint

Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was a Swedish artist and spiritualist whose colossal works have become known as some of the first examples of abstract art. With an early interest in visual art, mathematics, and botany, af Klint attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm where she excelled in landscape painting and portraiture. While making a living off commission from these conventional endeavors, af Klint became greatly involved in various forms of spiritualism including Anthroposophy, Theosophy, and Rosicrucianism. In the 1890s, she met four other female artists—together, they would become known as “The Five”. The Five met regularly, believing they could communicate with a higher consciousness. These beliefs heavily influenced and even “directed” af Klint’s work. She created her first series of abstract works in 1906, predating other artists such as Kandinsky and Mondrian, who are often regarded as the “pioneers of abstraction”. Soon she began to develop a more intentional and independent expression of her ideas, incorporating biomorphic forms, mathematical proportions, and vibrant hues. 

Af Klint rarely exhibited her work and believed her contemporaries were not ready to fully understand it. Stipulating later in life that it should not be shown until 20 years after her death, her work was largely unknown until the 1980s. Af Klint painted for a future audience, one willing to embrace a female pioneer in the field and the holistic nature of her work.