Her work upended the chronology of modern art. For the first time in France, discover the visionary world of Hilma af Klint (1862‑1944), a pioneer of abstraction long kept in the shadows. From her large-scale compositions to her secret avant-garde works, her art blends color, form, and symbolism with captivating audacity.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm, Hilma af Klint led a double artistic life: a figurative practice that conformed to the expectations of her time, and, in secret, a radically avant-garde production nourished by theosophy and spiritualism, exploring cosmic harmony and invisible forces. 

From 1906, long before Kandinsky or Malevich, she created bold compositions in which vivid colors, geometric shapes, and organic motifs anticipated the major currents of modern art. Spirals, circles, and beams reflect her total creative freedom and give her paintings a universal and timeless dimension. On this occasion, the Grand Palais and the Centre Pompidou present her major work: the Paintings for the Temple (1906‑1915), including the monumental series The Ten Largest. The exhibition also highlights the multiple sources of her inspiration - esotericism, folk art, scientific culture - and examines the long-overlooked role of women in the history of modern art. 

This first monographic exhibition in France also reveals an extraordinary story. Hilma af Klint had chosen to keep her abstract works hidden, having them sealed for twenty years after her death. It was not until 1986, with the exhibition The Spiritual in Art in Los Angeles, that her work was finally revealed to the public. 

A rare opportunity to discover an artist who, ahead of her time, transcends the boundaries between art, science, and spirituality.

 

Opening dates and times:

From May 6, to August 30, 2026

Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Late night opening until 10 p.m. on Fridays 

Closed on Mondays

 

Admission:

Full price: €15
Reduced price: €12
Free: under 18s

 

 

How to get to the Grand Palais from the Hôtel Jardin Le Bréa?
Grand Palais - 17 Avenue du Général Eisenhower 75008

- From the Hôtel Jardin Le Bréa, take metro line 12 at Notre-Dame-des-Champs (5 min walk), towards Mairie d'Aubervilliers, Concorde station, the Grand Palais museum is then a 15 min walk away,

or take bus line 83 at Guynemer-Vavin (5 min walk), towards Invalides and get off at the same stop, Invalides. Then, you just have to cross the Alexandre III bridge (10 min walk) and you will arrive at the Grand Palais. 

The total travel time from our hotel via the two routes is approximately 20-30 minutes.

 

 

Practical information

https://www.grandpalais.fr/en

 

The Ten Largest, group IV, October 2 - December 7, 1907, 315 x 234 cm

The Moderna Museet, Stockholm
© Hilma af Klint 2026