Hilma af Klint

Viktor Almquist (1860 - 1951) was a Swedish civil servant, Director-General, and head of the Prison Administration. Almquist was a lifelong chairman of the literary society Samfundet de nio. Under the pseudonym Hans Vik, he published three collections of poetry: Målerier (1889), Rimlek och färgspel (1894), and Vågsvall (1898). Hilma af Klint was the same age as Almquist. According to family tradition they were friends and grew up together.

Hilma af Klint was a pioneer on many levels. Her artistic career began in classical painting and she was one of the first generation of women to train at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm. Until her 40s, she mainly painted portraits and landscapes, botanical studies and commissions. Without any progressive transition, she then moves from traditional painting to creating in an absolutely free and unconventional way. Long after her death, Hilma af Klint is now internationally recognised and celebrated as an early pioneer of abstract art.