Hilma af Klint: The Ten Largest No. 9, Old Age (1907)

A symbolic abstract poster featuring Hilma af Klint's The Ten Largest No. 9, Old Age from 1907. Against a soft pink ground, circles, spirals, seed forms and diagram-like flowers create a calm meditation on the final stage of life.

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

• Abstract masterpiece by Hilma af Klint
• Painted in 1907 as part of The Ten Largest
• Soft pink ground with yellow and blue symbols
• Spirals, seed forms and a vesica piscis
• Printed on 200 gsm heavyweight matte paper
• Available in four sizes
• Frame not included

Old age in geometry and colour

In the ninth painting of The Ten Largest, the lively organic forms of childhood, youth and adulthood give way to a more ordered composition. The image is symmetrical and spacious, with a soft pink background that Hilma af Klint associated with Eros.

Two large spirals anchor the lower part of the painting. Above them, overlapping yellow and blue circles form a luminous centre, while seed-like shapes and diagrammatic flowers rise through the composition.

The vesica piscis at the centre

The intersecting circles create an almond-shaped form known as a vesica piscis. This ancient geometric figure has appeared in religious and philosophical imagery for centuries, often as a symbol of creation, unity or the meeting of two realms.

Af Klint's yellow and blue circles can also be read through her recurring symbolic language, where the colours often represented complementary masculine and feminine principles. Their overlap suggests a state in which the two are joined.

“The almond shape that emerges in the middle is usually called a vesica piscis.”

Seeds, flowers and a final life stage

Two pale forms resemble wheat kernels or seeds. Near the top, circular motifs unfold like flowers seen in a scientific diagram. These symbols connect decline with germination and renewal, giving the subject of old age a quiet sense of continuity.

Hilma af Klint later described the painting as concerning a divinity that contains both male and female principles. The work therefore treats old age as a stage of gathering, balance and transformation.

Part of The Ten Largest

The Ten Largest consists of ten monumental paintings created in 1907. The series follows the course of human life through childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. Af Klint produced the works for a planned spiritual temple, and their scale surrounds the viewer with colour, signs and flowing forms.

No. 9 is the first of the two paintings devoted to old age. Its stricter geometry marks a clear shift from the exuberant curves and botanical shapes of the earlier stages.

About Hilma af Klint

Hilma af Klint was born in Stockholm in 1862 and trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Alongside conventional portraits and landscapes, she developed a private body of abstract work inspired by spiritual inquiry, science and systems of symbols.

Her large abstract paintings from the early twentieth century were created years before abstraction became widely established in European art. She requested that much of this work remain unseen for twenty years after her death, and it later became central to a broader understanding of modern art.

Artwork details

Available sizes

Quiet symbolism for the home

The pale pink ground and balanced geometry give this poster a gentle presence. It works beautifully in a living room, bedroom or reflective workspace, especially with light woods, natural textiles and warm neutral colours.

Explore more visionary works in our Swedish art collection, or pair it with The Ten Largest No. 8, Adulthood.

Frequently asked questions

What does The Ten Largest No. 9 represent?

The painting represents old age, the final stage in Hilma af Klint's series about the human life cycle.

What is a vesica piscis?

It is the almond shape created where two circles overlap. In the painting, it appears between the yellow and blue circles near the centre.

Why is the background pink?

Hilma af Klint associated pink with Eros. Here it creates a soft field around the painting's more ordered geometric symbols.

Where is the original artwork?

The original belongs to the Hilma af Klint Foundation in Stockholm and is catalogued as HaK 110.

What paper is the poster printed on?

The poster is printed on heavyweight 200 gsm matte paper with a smooth, 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.