BOOK REVIEW

Esoteric and occult Sweden

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30664/ar.102464 Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Per Faxneld, Det ockulta sekelskiftet.

Esoteriska strömningar i Hilma af Klints
tid  (Stockholm: Volante, 2020), 237 pp.

While esoteric movements such as Theoso­

phy and Anthroposophy are thoroughly
international phenomena, they also have
local and national dimensions with par­
ticular emphases and representatives. Per
Faxneld’s work on the ‘occult turn of the
century’ describes the international settings
and currents of esotericism, but focuses on
their embodiments in Sweden. As the sub­
title – esoteric currents in the age of Hilma
af Klint – suggests, the focus is on the, at
the moment highly popular, Swedish spir­
itual artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) and
her coeval colleagues, Lucie Lagerbielke
(1865–1931) and Tyra Kleen (1874–1951). 
The objective of Per Faxneld’s book is
to give an easy-to-read introduction to the
fuzzy concepts of esotericism and occult­ The focus of the book is on the turn of
ism, as well as their research, for readers the twentieth century, but it also looks back
not familiar with them beforehand. This in time as well as forward. In addition to
means that the first part of the book does Faxneld’s text the book also contains a short
not provide much new for readers already afterword, written by a relative of Hilma af
versed in the subject, while the rest of the Klint which, however, mainly repeats what
book which focuses on the esoteric and has already been said. The appended after­
occult history in Sweden and its influences word is explained by the affiliation of the
on Swedish art, offers much inspiring read­ book to art exhibitions held in Stockholm
ing and new insights. at the time of its publication. Det ockulta

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sekelskiftet is a book which is nice to hold Sweden­borg’s dream diary. Amongst those
and read; it is extremely well written, who attended were none other than William
has a beautiful layout, and is extensively Blake with his wife Catherine, the former
illustrated. being one of the most celebrated artists to
have been influenced and inspired by the
The esoteric and occult history of Sweden ideas of Swedenborg. Of Swedish authors,
As the focus of the work is on Hilma af Klint Faxneld mentions for instance P. D. A.
and her art, it follows that it emphasises the Atterbom (1790–1855), C. J. L. Alm­qvist,
movements, persons, and ideas that were Ivan Aguéli (1869–1917), and of course,
important to her – but also people and August Strindberg (1849–1912).
characters which more broadly speaking In addition to artists Swedenborg also
belong to the Swedish esoteric and occult inspired movements such as Spiritualism,
scene receive short introductions, and read­ which started in the early nineteenth cen­
ers in need of more information may easily tury, both in the US in the form of medium
turn to works mentioned in the references. séances, and in Europe, interpreted especi­
Because Finns and Swedes share a common ally by Allan Kardec (1804–69). In Sweden
history till the early nineteenth century, a Kardec’s doctrine of spirits, spiritism,
Finnish reader finds many familiar names became the most widespread form, whereas
and events. Some inter­est­ing details may be in Finland the Anglo-American concept of
gathered, for in­stance, in the connection of spiritualism gained prevalence. In Sweden,
esotericism and occultism with the Swedish thus, the term spirit­ism became a designa­
nobility and royal dynasty. As heads and tion of all kinds of communications with
patrons of Free­masonry, kings employed spirits.
both magicians and alchemists – to which At the turn of the nineteenth century
belonged, among others, the two promin­ trance mediumism was a popular activity
ent Finns Gustaf Björnram (1746–1804) both in private homes as well as in public
and August Nordenskiöld (1754–92). séances. These included both questions to
In exploring the early stages of these spirits posed by participants, table turn­
esoteric currents, Faxneld describes especi­ ing and even the appearance of ectoplasm
ally the traditions of alchemy and Rosi­­ – materialisations of spirits – produced by
crucianism, as well as the history of Free­ mediums. Faxneld proposes an interesting
masonry. Due to the Swedish context it description of the development of Swedish
is reasonable that Emanuel Swedenborg spirtualism through its central actors, to
(1688–1772) receives a chapter of his own. which belonged Hilma af Klint and her
Faxneld does not go into more detail, for group De Fem. Spiritualist communities at
example, as regards August Nordenskiöld the time in general rarely offered women
and his brother Carl Fredrik’s role in the opportunities for experiencing agency
publishing and translating of Swedenborg’s and leadership. The Spiritualist movement
literary oeuvre. Having access to the legacy in Sweden was thus intimately connected
of Swedenborg, August Nordenskiöld pre­ to the first-wave feminist movement. The
sented at the first Swedenborgian Con­ early years of the Theosophical movement
ference, which took place in London in in Sweden were more broadly also con­
1789, views of Swedenborg concerning sex, nected to new ideologies of the late nine­
love and gender, from hitherto unknown teenth century: liberalism, freedom of reli­
and unpublished manuscripts, such as gion, women’s affairs, and new trends in

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art. Famous artists interested in Theosophy main part of his work to presenting three
were, for instance, Viktor Rydberg, Selma female artists in Sweden: besides Hilma af
Lagerlöf, and Carl and Karin Larsson. Klint who today is known by almost eve­
It is interesting to notice similarities ryone, it is instructive to learn about the
and differences in the history of esoteric more unknown artists Lucie Lagerbielke
movements in Finland and in Sweden. and Tyra Kleen.
While Theosophy in Finland became affili­ While Lagerbielke, according to Fax­
ated with the working class, in Sweden it neld, does not rank with more proficient
attracted suffragettes and the nobility. The artists, she was an important figure due
reception in Sweden was mainly in the form to her ideas about the spiritual meaning
of the Theosophical branch of Katherine of art. Lagerbielke’s paintings were chan­
Tingley (1847–1929), who also visited nelled by the spiritual visions which led her
Sweden and received an audience from paintings, as were also fictional texts from
King Oscar II, who had a personal inter­ contemporary authors. Presenting the con­
est in Theosophy. Anthroposophical meet­ nections of esotericism and art to the read­
ings were organised in Sweden as early as in ing audience of Sweden, Lagerbielke was a
1913 by army officials, and members came celebrity in her own time, being a familiar
from both upper and middle classes, as well figure in the press, as well as her writings
as from representatives of the nobility. being widely read.
Artists also encountered the Anthropo­ Like Hilma af Klint, Tyra Kleen was an
sophical movement. Hilma af Klint visited educated and skilful artist. A cosmopolite,
the headquarters of the movement in Kleen studied and painted in different parts
Switzerland, Goetheanum, several times of Europe. In a slightly speculative manner
in the 1920s, nourishing hopes that her Faxneld tries to map the possible connec­
temple paintings would be deposited there. tions between Kleen and other well-known
Faxneld also highlights the Finnish poet artists, such as Edvard Munch, in tracing
Edith Södergran (1892–1923), who in her the sources of her inspirations. In Kleen’s
last years came to be influenced by Rudolf art a typical and characteristic topic is a
Steiner’s thinking. feminist and Theosophical interpretation
Faxneld does not mention the Finnish of the serpent of Eden – a familiar topic in
Anthroposophist Uno Donner and his in­­ Faxneld’s earlier researches as well.
fluence on the Swedish Anthroposophical The most well-known and valued of
movement. Donner supported the soci­ the three artists is, of course, Hilma af
ety financially and also participated in its Klint, whose exhibition at the Guggenheim
activities during World War One, when Museum in New York has attracted huge
he was living in Stockholm with his wife audiences. Concerning the main themes of
Olly Donner, nowadays a largely forgotten af Klint’s known life and art works, Faxneld
author of Anthroposophical novels. also proves that some of them are false.
Hilma af Klint, for instance, did not demand
Gender and esotericism: female artists her works to be kept secret and unavailable
The history of esotericism and occultism is for decades. Af Klint didn’t work alone, but
more or less a history of male practitioners, was a member of the groups De Fem and
writers, and artists, researched and writ­ De Tretton, whose working methods are
ten by male researchers. For this reason extremely interesting but not yet properly
it is significant that Faxneld dedicates the researched. Both were Spiritualist groups

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exclusively for women, in which they were spiritualities. Today esoteric and occult
able to converge in studies and strive for interests are mainstream and popular. We
spiritual development. At the same time can find it in the ideas of artists, authors,
they broke radically with much of what was cartoon makers, musicians, and in movies,
conventionally possible and permitted at tv series and video games. Because of this,
the time. The women shared, for instance, researchers of contemporary art, literature
holy communion amongst themselves and popular culture should be aware of the
alone, although of course in secret. long and intricate history of esotericism
Of these early artists Hilma af Klint and occultism. 
remains the only one to be recognised in
co­­
n­
temporary art history. Engaged in Tiina Mahlamäki
Spiritual­ism, Theosophy, and Anthropo­
Tiina Mahlamäki is University Lecturer in the
sophy, she presented her work to Rudolf
Study of Religion, University of Turku.
Steiner, joined the Anthroposophical Soci­
ety and visited Goetheanum where she
studied Goethe’s colour palette, which in
many ways influenced her future art works.
The large legacy of Hilma af Klint con­
sists of approximately 1,300 artworks and
124 notebooks with 26,000 pages, all more
or less unexplored, so there is plenty of
research in the pipeline – I’m looking for­
ward to Hedvig Ahlén-Martin’s forthcom­
ing dissertation on the topic.
Esotericism has not gone away since its
peak during the fin de siècle; it has contin­
ued and developed through the develop­
ment of various movements and organ­
isations and has from time to time become
more visible in the mainstream media and
cultural productions. Subsequent to the fin-
de-siècle era it took the form of surrealism
within visual and literal art, and became,
to a certain extent, connected to national­
ism and national socialism in the 1930s.
Spiritualism became especially important
during and after World War Two for people
in mourning and seeking contact with
their lost relatives. After the war esoteri­
cism emerged in new forms; for instance in
humanistic psychology, parapsychologic­al
experiments and UFO phenomena – as part
of the counterculture of the post-war gen­
eration, and from the 1980s onwards within
New Age and other new and alternative

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