I am referring here to the fad of spiritism that took Europe by a storm around the turn of the century. Less well know is its influence on certain pioneers of abstract art. Hilma Af Klint can be seen as a sort of missing link between Jugendstil and abstraction. At the bottom a simulacrum painted by Nicolas Roerich, which is also interesting: it's Russian dabblings with esoterics here (in stead of the obvious nazi connection).
Of course, it's not necessary to be aware of all the references i am using, though. That would render the story quite unreadable. But it is interesting IMO to see how abstraction became a respected direction in art and comics sadly went the other way, while both developed quasi-simultaneously.
Af Klint
Roerich