Syringa vulgaris (Common Lilac). Sheet 41 from the portfolio Nature Studies

Syringa vulgaris (Common Lilac). Sheet 41 from the portfolio Nature Studies, created by Swedish artist Hilma af Klint in 1920, is an exemplary piece from a series that bridged botanical observation with the esoteric diagrams central to her abstract practice. This drawing is executed using a mixed media approach of watercolor, pencil, ink, and notably, metallic paint on paper. It represents one of the 46 meticulous studies that comprise the larger Nature Studies portfolio, in which Klint documented the underlying structures and energies she perceived in plant life.

Dated precisely June 6, 1920, the work was produced relatively late in Klint’s career, following her groundbreaking abstract paintings. Unlike the monumental scale of her earlier canvases, this piece demonstrates a focused, intimate scale suitable for detailed scientific investigation, though filtered through her spiritualist lens. The use of metallic paint suggests that the artist was interested in depicting the unseen, spiritual light or energy emanating from the subject, transforming the common lilac from a simple flowering plant into a complex geometric and energetic map.

As a crucial link between Klint's early figurative studies and her mature abstract symbolism, works like Syringa vulgaris (Common Lilac). Sheet 41 from the portfolio Nature Studies offer profound insight into her working methodology. The Nature Studies portfolio solidified the artist's ability to translate complex conceptual systems into coherent visual language. This significant drawing, classified as a drawing, remains an integral part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). As public domain access to her work expands, high-quality prints and reproductions of Klint's pioneering art continue to introduce her vital contributions to the history of modernism to a global audience.