Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) was a Swedish painter. She was the first abstract painter that we know of. Her work was influenced by Theosophy, which she encountered shortly after her sister died at a young age. Klint met other women with similar spiritual ideas when she was at the Academy of Fine Arts and they formed a group called The Five. The other four members were Anna Cassel, Cornelia Cederburg, Sigrid Hedman, and Mathilda Nilsson. 

The Five held meetings where they tried to contact spiritual entities and met a group of entities they called The High Masters. Hilma began to paint paintings that she said were not her own. Something else, with "a strong hand" was painting them for "The Temple," though it never became clear what The Temple was. There were 193 Temple paintings, which were said to describe the phases of life.

After The Temple paintings were complete, Hilda continued to paint abstract paintings with no outside influence. She  was the first person to do this, though she's only been credited this way recently.

The difference between the two types of painting is pretty stark. The temple paintings are abstract but very gemetric. Her own abstract paintings are almost formless.