Youth n.º 3

Context: one of the ten monumental paintings Hilma made lying on the floor of her studio, without preliminary sketches, letting her hand move of its own accord. In the corner of that imposing work, among spirals and ovals, a minuscule flower appears, held up by a heart.

Interpretation: we give that detail the prominence the original denies it. The flower is no longer a minor note within the general chaos but the centre of creation itself, its forms holding a message of feeling. The heart hanging below offers a guarantee of calm in shifting surroundings: order within disorder, stillness within the storm.

Technique: the earring multiplies the petals in volume and moves the heart up to the top fitting, independent of the rest, so that detaching it leaves the flower as a piece in its own right. Depending on which part you choose to show, you can wear it whole or wear only the heart.

Source: The Ten Largest, n.º 3, Youth, Group IV, 1907.