Aquilegia vulgaris (European Columbine), Silene nutans (Nottingham Catchfly), Berberis vulgaris (European Barberry). Sheet 16 from the portfolio Nature Studies

Aquilegia vulgaris (European Columbine), Silene nutans (Nottingham Catchfly), Berberis vulgaris (European Barberry). Sheet 16 from the portfolio Nature Studies is a highly detailed botanical drawing created by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint. This specific sheet, executed precisely between June 21 and 25, 1919, is one of 46 studies that together comprise the extensive Nature Studies portfolio. The work utilizes a complex mixed media approach, combining delicate watercolor and pencil with ink and carefully applied traces of metallic paint on paper, demonstrating Klint’s mastery over diverse drawing techniques.

While Hilma af Klint is primarily celebrated for her pioneering work in abstraction, the Nature Studies portfolio reveals her commitment to meticulous, empirical observation of the organic world. Here, Klint precisely renders the forms of the European Columbine, the Nottingham Catchfly, and the European Barberry, often depicting cross-sections and multiple viewpoints to capture the complete anatomy of the specimens. This observational rigor was fundamental to Klint's practice, linking her spiritual and abstract visions to grounding, verifiable elements drawn directly from nature. The precise rendering of these botanical subjects offers crucial insight into the preparatory and parallel methods used by the artist during this period.

Classified formally as a drawing, this piece provides essential insight into the rigorous methodological approach used by the Swedish modernist. The application of watercolor highlights the forms, while the inclusion of metallic paint hints at the subtle luminosity and transformation Klint often perceived in natural objects. Though perhaps not as widely reproduced as her monumental abstract canvases, works from the Nature Studies series remain crucial for a holistic understanding of Klint’s artistic vision. This particular sheet, along with the complete Nature Studies portfolio, is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. Today, the detailed documentation of this masterwork often allows for the creation of high-quality prints, making Klint’s complex observational studies accessible to a wider audience.