The Ten Largest, No. 8, Adulthood (1907 CE)

Hilma af Klint’s The Ten Largest, No. 8, Adulthood is an abstract masterpiece that invites viewers into a realm of spiritual exploration and human evolution. Created as part of a groundbreaking series in 1907, this monumental painting bursts with swirling organic forms and symbolic elements on a vibrant purple backdrop, evoking the dynamic interplay between the material world and the ethereal spirit. It serves as a visual meditation on maturity, blending colors and shapes to symbolize the harmony of opposites—such as male and female principles—while hinting at deeper alchemical and mystical truths, making it an intriguing gateway into the artist’s visionary worldview.

Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) was a pioneering Swedish artist whose work predated many modern abstract movements, yet remained largely unknown during her lifetime due to her reclusive nature and spiritual inclinations. Born into a family that moved to Stockholm in 1872 following the tragic death of her older sister Anna before the age of two, af Klint trained at a technical school in Stockholm and studied portrait painting under artist Kerstin Cardon. Influenced by the 19th-century spiritualism movement, which emphasized communication with spirits, she co-founded a group called “The Five” in 1896, where members engaged in séances and automatic drawing to channel higher entities.

The Ten Largest, No. 8, Adulthood was created in 1907 as part of her larger cycle “Paintings for the Temple,” a series commissioned through spiritual guidance that af Klint believed was directed by higher beings. This particular work belongs to the adulthood group (Nos. 5–8), which explores the fourth phase of human life from a spiritual perspective. The entire “The Ten Largest” series was produced remarkably quickly over a 60-day period, reflecting af Klint’s sense of urgency and divine inspiration. As a marginalized figure in the art world—both geographically in Sweden and personally through her unconventional practices—she developed a unique visual language independent of mainstream trends.

Interestingly, af Klint’s later botanical drawings from 1919–1920, which studied nature’s intricacies, echoed the organic motifs in No. 8, such as seeds and flowers, suggesting a lifelong fascination with life’s hidden patterns. Another intriguing detail is that despite her innovative abstractions, af Klint supported herself through conventional portraiture and illustration, highlighting the contrast between her public and private artistic lives. Her works, including this one, were nearly lost to history but gained prominence through modern exhibitions, such as “Hilma af Klint: The Secret Paintings” at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2021 and “Hilma af Klint: What Stands Behind the Flowers” at MoMA in New York in 2025, where they continue to inspire awe for their prescient modernity.

Within the broader context of early 20th-century art, “No. 8, Adulthood” holds profound cultural and artistic importance as a precursor to abstract expressionism and spiritual modernism, challenging the male-dominated narrative that credits artists like Wassily Kandinsky as the “first” abstractionists. As part of “The Ten Largest,” it represents af Klint’s radical vision of art as a tool for spiritual evolution, drawing from esoteric traditions like Theosophy, Anthroposophy, and alchemy. The painting’s mandala-like structure and organic forms symbolize growth, maturity, fertility, and nourishment, reflecting the human life cycle’s progression toward enlightenment.

The recurring letters “u” (spirit), “w” (matter), and “s” function not as a rigid code but as flexible mantras, akin to “ohm” in yoga, designed to induce altered states of consciousness through vibration and non-verbal communication. The blue-yellow interplay signifies male (blue) and female (yellow) principles, exploring themes of duality, eros, primordial chaos, and the integration of opposites into harmony. The purple background evokes a transcendent realm, emphasizing spiritual development and unity between spirit and matter. Overall, the work underscores af Klint’s belief in art’s power to influence societal consciousness, making it a ritualistic piece that bridges biology, mysticism, and human potential in a way that was revolutionary for its time.

The artwork is executed in tempera (or a combination of oil and tempera) on paper mounted on canvas, a medium that allowed af Klint to achieve the soft, luminous quality of her pastel tones. Its monumental dimensions measure 328 cm × 240 cm (129 inches × 94.5 inches), contributing to its immersive, temple-like presence. The composition features a purple background overlaid with fluid, organic shapes including circles, spirals, loops, seeds, and insect-like elements. Colors are predominantly pastel—pinks, yellows, blues, and whites—creating a dynamic yet harmonious balance. 

Hilma af Klint retained ownership of “No. 8, Adulthood” and her entire oeuvre during her lifetime, storing them privately in accordance with her spiritual directives. They were eventually donated to the Hilma af Klint Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden, in the 1970s, after initial attempts to gift them to institutions. The painting gained international recognition through posthumous exhibitions starting in the 1980s.