The Dove (1915)

In 1915, Hilma af Klint started The Dove, one of the late groups in the Paintings for the Temple. Symbol of the Holy Spirit and messenger of the divine in Christianity, the dove appears in two of the paintings with its wings tinged red, delicately held by large hands advancing between heaven and earth in a state of harmony. Symbolic colors and abstract forms dominate the paintings, punctuated by crisp figuration, while a struggle between good and evil, the mystical combat between Saint George and the dragon, gradually unfolds. Af Klint said in her notes that Saint George was one of her alter egos, while the dragon or winged serpent is a mythical animal brimming with symbolism: slaying the dragon represents triumph over darkness.

Some works in The Dove include planets with rings, astrological symbols, numbers, and other signs. The metallic appearance of the planets recalls certain images from the European artistic tradition, such as illuminated manuscripts and medieval icons, which feature golden backgrounds or halos. Af Klint was familiar with the Theory of Colors, Goethe’s book on the nature and perception of color published in 1810. The Theosophists considered the German writer a touchstone, and Rudolf Steiner devoted two books and a large building, the Goetheanum, headquarters of the Anthroposophical Society—which af Klint visited several times—to Goethe.