Anna Cassel’s (1860–1937) work is dominated by magnificent landscapes and cityscapes. But she was a close friend and collaborated both spiritually and artistically with Hilma af Klint. Both women were members of the spiritualist group The Five, who were active from 1897 to 1907.

The book Anna Cassel: The Saga of the Rose, to be published in February, sheds new light on Cassel and her influence on early abstract art, and it becomes clear that the collaboration between her and Hilma af Klint was much deeper than what has previously been known.

New research shows that Anna Cassel was in fact a co-creator of some of af Klint’s best known works, including the noted series Paintings for the Temple.

“Hilma af Klint was not alone. In her notebooks, it is clear that Anna Cassel helped her create The Paintings for the Temple. Cassel’s contribution to these legendary works needs to be further researched,” says Daniel Birnbaum, who has edited the book together with Kurt Almqvist.

Anna Cassel: The Saga of the Rose sheds new light on Cassel’s artistry and her influence on early abstract art. For the first time, nearly a century after her death, the large number of occult and spiritual paintings that she produced have been collected and published in a book.

Read more about Anna Cassel: The Saga of the Rose.