Hilma af Klint: The Ten Largest No. 8, Adulthood (1907)

A luminous abstract art poster featuring Hilma af Klint’s The Ten Largest, No. 8, Adulthood from 1907. Rounded forms in pale pink, yellow, red and blue float across a light purple background in the final painting devoted to adult life.

Printed locally on heavyweight matte paper, as close to you as possible. Typical delivery time: 2–5 business days.

• Abstract composition by Hilma af Klint
• Created in 1907 as part of The Ten Largest
• Final painting in the four-part Adulthood group
• Soft pastel colours with rounded organic forms
• Printed on 200 gsm heavyweight matte paper
• Available in four sizes
• Frame not included

The final phase of adulthood

No. 8 concludes the four purple paintings through which Hilma af Klint explored different phases of adult life. Its large, rounded forms appear calmer and more open than the dense network of symbols and letters found in the preceding works.

Overlapping circles, curved lines and pale fields of colour give the composition a slow rhythm. The forms can recall cells, seeds or celestial bodies, yet they remain open enough to invite personal associations.

Blue, yellow and two principles

The meeting of blue and yellow is central to this painting. Hilma af Klint frequently used the two colours as signs for contrasting principles. In her visual vocabulary, blue was associated with the female principle and yellow with the male.

The colours appear within a composition where separation gradually gives way to contact. This relationship reflects one of the recurring ideas in her work: apparently opposing forces moving towards balance and unity.

“In the fourth and final painting the interplay between the blue and the yellow, that is the male and the female principle, is central.”

Organic forms on a monumental scale

Hilma af Klint had studied plants and botanical structures closely. In No. 8, forms suggesting petals, cells and germinating seeds are enlarged until they fill the monumental surface. Their scale turns details associated with nature into an immersive abstract environment.

The light purple ground gives the work a gentle atmosphere, while red and yellow details create warmth. Small blue passages form a cooler counterpoint and reinforce the dialogue between the painting’s colour principles.

Part of The Ten Largest

Hilma af Klint produced the ten paintings in approximately forty days during the autumn of 1907. The sequence follows Childhood, Youth, Adulthood and Old Age, with No. 8 marking the conclusion of adulthood before the series moves into its two final paintings.

The Ten Largest belongs to the wider project The Paintings for the Temple. Across this extensive body of work, Hilma af Klint developed an abstract language for growth, spiritual evolution and the connection between visible nature and an unseen reality.

About Hilma af Klint

Hilma af Klint was born in Stockholm in 1862 and trained at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts. She worked with portraits, landscapes and botanical illustration before creating her large abstract series from 1906 onwards.

Many of these works remained known to only a small circle during her lifetime. Her abstract paintings reached a wider international audience decades after her death and have since changed the established account of early modern abstraction.

Artwork details

Available sizes

Soft colour with a strong presence

The pale purple ground and rounded pink, yellow and red forms give the poster a calm yet distinctive character. It suits a living room, bedroom, creative workspace or an interior with light wood and muted textiles.

Explore more visionary works in our collection of Swedish art, or pair it with The Ten Largest, No. 7, Adulthood to complete the final two stages of the Adulthood group.

Frequently asked questions

What does The Ten Largest No. 8 represent?

The painting represents the final phase of adulthood in Hilma af Klint’s sequence. The series focuses primarily on spiritual and mental development.

What do blue and yellow mean?

In Hilma af Klint’s visual vocabulary, blue was commonly connected with the female principle and yellow with the male. Their interaction is central to No. 8.

Why are there so many circular forms?

The rounded shapes can recall cells, seeds, flowers and celestial bodies. Hilma af Klint often drew on natural forms while developing compositions that remained abstract and symbolic.

When was the painting created?

It was created in 1907 as part of The Ten Largest, a series of ten monumental works completed over approximately forty days.

What paper is the poster printed on?

The poster is printed on heavyweight 200 gsm quality paper with a smooth, matte and non-reflective surface.

Is a frame included?

No, the frame is not included. You can choose a frame that suits the poster and your interior.