Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold). Sheet 26 from the portfolio Nature Studies by Hilma af Klint is a significant drawing created using watercolor, pencil, and ink on paper. Executed on August 16, 1919, this precise study is one of 46 detailed observations that comprise the comprehensive Nature Studies portfolio. This Swedish artist, renowned for her pioneering contributions to abstract art, maintained a profoundly disciplined practice rooted in scientific investigation and spiritual philosophy. The drawing technique employed here is characterized by meticulous botanical illustration combined with an exploratory use of subtle watercolor washes, demonstrating the fine balance between objective representation and interior vision that defined Klint’s methods during this late period.
Although Klint is most celebrated for her purely abstract compositions, works such as this drawing reveal the foundational observational methods that informed her revolutionary approach. The Calendula officinalis (Pot Marigold) study exemplifies how the artist meticulously documented the natural world, transforming objective botanical forms into vehicles for interpreting metaphysical principles. This classification as a drawing underscores the delicate precision Klint brought to capturing the specific characteristics of the common marigold, moving beyond mere illustration toward symbolic interpretation. The complete portfolio served as a vital, privately held record, linking the visible world to the spiritual forces Klint sought to represent in her larger esoteric series.
The meticulous execution and clear dating of this piece provide valuable insight into Klint’s daily studio practice near the end of her career. As a foundational piece documenting her commitment to nature studies, the work offers an essential counterpoint to her better-known large-scale abstract canvases. This important drawing is housed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its accessibility for ongoing scholarship regarding this groundbreaking Swedish figure. Like many of Klint’s sensitive works on paper, high-quality reference reproductions and prints are frequently utilized by scholars examining the origins of modernist abstraction.
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