Hilma af Klint: The Ten Largest No. 6, Adulthood (1907)

An expressive abstract art poster featuring Hilma af Klint’s The Ten Largest No. 6, Adulthood from 1907. Letters, curving lines and brightly coloured forms spread across a purple background in one of her most symbolically dense compositions.

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

• Abstract artwork by Hilma af Klint
• Created in 1907 as part of The Ten Largest
• The second of four paintings devoted to adulthood
• Purple background with black, blue, orange and pink forms
• Filled with letters and spiritual symbols
• Printed on 200 gsm premium matte paper
• Available in four sizes
• Frame not included

A painting filled with letters

The Ten Largest No. 6 is the second work in the section representing adulthood. Across its purple ground, coloured fields and sweeping lines meet a dense network of letters and letter combinations.

Some characters stand alone, while others are woven into curved forms that resemble vines, ribbons or paths. The letters become part of the visual rhythm, giving the painting the appearance of a message whose full meaning remains just beyond ordinary language.

Spirit and matter

Letters appear throughout Hilma af Klint’s Paintings for the Temple. She recorded different meanings for words and characters in her notes, although the same symbol could change meaning according to its context.

Moderna Museet explains that U and W often represent spirit and matter. These letters appear as complementary forces in several of af Klint’s works, reflecting her interest in the relationship between the visible world and a spiritual dimension.

“Letters in different combinations often appear throughout the Temple series, and the second painting from Adulthood is filled with them.”

Words that may have been meant as sound

The museum guide suggests that some of the letters may have been intended to be sounded like mantras. Sound creates physical vibration and has been used in many spiritual traditions to support meditation or altered states of awareness.

This possibility gives the painting another dimension. The letters can be viewed as shapes, fragments of language or imagined sounds. Af Klint did not leave a single universal key that resolves every symbol, so the composition continues to invite interpretation.

Part of The Ten Largest

Hilma af Klint created the ten paintings over approximately forty days in the autumn of 1907. The series follows the human life cycle from childhood and youth through adulthood to old age.

Nos. 5–8 represent different phases of adult life and share a purple background. The group belongs to The Paintings for the Temple, an extensive body of 193 works created between 1906 and 1915.

About Hilma af Klint

Hilma af Klint was born in Stockholm in 1862 and trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Her knowledge of botanical illustration and observational drawing later became part of an abstract language built from organic forms, geometry and colour.

Spiritualism, theosophy and contemporary scientific ideas all influenced her work. She documented her symbols and working process in numerous notebooks, but many of the paintings still resist one fixed interpretation.

Artwork details

Available sizes

A vivid composition for the wall

The combination of a deep purple background and strong orange, pink, blue and black details gives this poster a powerful presence. Its many symbols reward a closer look, while the broad colour fields remain striking from across the room.

Explore more visionary works in our collection of Swedish art, or display it alongside The Ten Largest No. 5.

Frequently asked questions

What does The Ten Largest No. 6 represent?

The painting represents adulthood. It is the second of four works in the series devoted to this stage of life.

What do the letters in the painting mean?

Their meaning changes according to context. Hilma af Klint often used U and W to represent spirit and matter, although there is no universal key for interpreting every character.

Were the letters intended to be read aloud?

Moderna Museet suggests that some of the letter combinations may have been intended to be sounded like mantras. This remains an interpretation rather than a confirmed instruction from the artist.

How large is the original artwork?

The original measures 315 × 234 cm and was created with tempera on paper mounted on canvas.

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, allowing you to choose one that suits the poster and your interior.