Portrait of Lilly Sparre

Pastel. There was a renewed interest in prints around 1900. Figuration, clarity, detail and decoration were congenial with the symbolist fascination for ideas, feelings and narrative.

Tyra Kleen produced an extensive series of lithographs while living in Rome. She has described the process of carving motifs into rocks and sending them off to be printed. The subject matter is broad, with women resting in magnificent landscapes, critical observations of modern life, and portrayals of human emotional states, along with religious, mythological and literary scenes. Kleen was also an illustrator of her own writings and those of others. Le Parfum and La Chevelure are poems by Charles Baudelaire, Nevermore illustrates a piece by Edgar Allen Poe. Together, they form a rich universe of images in between fantasy and reality.

Portraits were a prime subject, as symbolism also explored mankind’s place in the world. In a large number of pastel drawings, Tyra Kleen depicts people she met on her travels and in her circle of friends – elegant women, handsome men, and mysterious children. The curving art nouveau style is found in many of her pictures, giving them a sensual quality.

The spiritual dimension was another vital source of inspiration. She took a special interest in theosophy, an esoteric belief system that blends Eastern religions with philosophy. Her works were exhibited at the Theosophical Society in Stockholm, of which she was a member. Motifs such as The Spectrum of the Conscious and The Birth of Athena are about developing the potential of the inner self towards creativity and individual maturity.

The international artist. Pictures of dance and theatre from Java and Bali. Room 5

Many Swedish male and female artists around 1900 travelled to other European cities for studies and inspiration. Going to Asia was more uncommon, but Tyra Kleen visited both India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Indonesia, drawn by her interest in dance and Eastern religion.