Name: Squares with Concentric Circles by Wassily Kandinsky - Canvas Giclée Print
SKU: 6778
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Abstract ArtAbstract artworks diverge from depicting recognizable scenes or objects and instead use colors, forms, and lines to create compositions that exist independently of visual references from the natural world. This movement, which gained momentum in the early 20th century, was propelled by artists such as Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Kazimir Malevich. These artists aimed to explore spiritual, emotional, and is considered by many to be one of the most important contributions made to the history of art in the 20th century. Wassily Kandinsky is credited as the pioneer of abstract modern art, being the first artist to have created a completely abstract picture. His notion that only total abstraction could offer profound and transcendental expression had a strong impact on the international development of abstraction. He believed that copying from nature would interfere with this process and was driven by the pursuit to symbolize the “inner need” of the artist, harkening towards spiritual awakening through the medium of art. The paintingPainting is a fundamental form of visual art that has been practiced for thousands of years. It involves applying pigment to a surface such as canvas, paper, or a wall. Painting can be explored through various styles, techniques, and mediums, each offering unique possibilities for expression and creativity. Historical Background • Ancient Beginnings: The history of painting dates back to “Squares with Concentric Circles” shows his fascination with the synesthetic relationship between music and paintingPainting is a fundamental form of visual art that has been practiced for thousands of years. It involves applying pigment to a surface such as canvas, paper, or a wall. Painting can be explored through various styles, techniques, and mediums, each offering unique possibilities for expression and creativity. Historical Background • Ancient Beginnings: The history of painting dates back to, seeking to imbue his paintings with the abstract melodic language of the universal sensations of the inner soul.

Where is the picture “Squares with Concentric Circles” today?

The Kandinsky original of the picture “Squares with Concentric Circles” (“Farbstudie Quadrate”) is part of the permanent collection of the Städtische Galerie in Lenbach in Munich.

What’s in it?

In “Squares with Concentric Circles” Kandinsky explored how the combination of different colours and forms impact emotions when combining them next to each other. For example, a large yellow ring as background to a hueIn color theory, hue is one of the main properties of a color, defining its dominant wavelength. This characteristic determines whether we perceive a color as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or violet. Understanding hue is essential for artists, designers, and anyone working with color. Defining Hue • Definition: Hue is the degree to which a color can be described of red would evoke a different emotion in contrast to being put in small size next to a blue. Kandinsky defined yellow as “an intense trumpet blast by its nature springing from the page’ and blue as having “a celestial sound that touches the depths”. He was convinced that colour could express feelings without representing any object, but that colour itself could be elements of a composition.

What’s the context?

Wassily KandinskyWassily (Vasily) Kandinsky (1866 – 1944) is known as one of the pioneers of abstract modern art. He was born in in Moscow to upper-class parents of mixed ethnic origins. At an early age, Kandinsky showed a rare sensitivity towards music and the arts, which his father strongly supported. Kandinsky decided to study law, ethnography, and economics, and started successfully – Der Blaue Reiter:
Kandinsky created the colour composition “Squares with Concentric Circles” during his years of “Der Blaue Reiter” (“The Blue Rider”) movement in Munich, one key pioneering movements of German ExpressionismExpressionism in fine arts was a modernist movement, which originated in Germany in the late 19th and early 20th century. Its roots of can be traced to Post-Impressionist artists like Edvard Munch in Norway, and Gustav Klimt of the Vienna Secession. Core attribute of Expressionism is the tendency to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting objects radically. “Der Blaue Reiter” was founded reacting to feelings of alienation within an increasingly modernized world, seeking to transcend the mundane by pursuing the spiritual valueIn color theory, value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. This concept is crucial for artists and designers because it helps create depth, contrast, and visual interest in their work. Value is one of the three properties of color, alongside hue and saturation. Defining Value Value indicates how light or dark a color appears. It ranges from of art. Besides Kandinsky, key proponents of the movement were Franz Marc, Paul KleePaul Klee (1879-1940) was a Swiss-born painter and graphic artist whose work is associated with expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. Klee's art is characterized by his playful and experimental use of color, line, and form. He produced over 9,000 works, including paintings, drawings, and prints, making significant contributions to modern art. Early Life and Education Born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, Klee showed, and Gabriele Münter, further Russian immigrant artists and native Germans, together producing numerous theoretical works of literature. In his work “Concerning the Spiritual in Art"Concerning the Spiritual in Art," written by Wassily Kandinsky in 1910, explores the deep connection between art and spirituality. Kandinsky argues that art should transcend mere representation, aiming to evoke a spiritual response from the viewer. The Essence of Spiritual Art Kandinsky's text is divided into two main parts: a discussion on the history and evolution of art and practical”, Kandinsky dwelled on the psychology of colour and the compositional interrelation of forms. He described the main goal of an artist to lead himself and the viewer towards an “innermost necessity”, that is based on the spiritual foundations of the individual.

Chatter and Prattle

Kandinsky experienced a neurological phenomenon called synesthesia (or “joined perception”). With this rare condition one sense, like hearing, concurrently triggers another sense, such as sight. For example, people with synesthesia can see a shape when they eat a certain food, or smell something when they hear a sound. Kandinsky literally saw colours when hearing music, and he heard music when he painted.
Therefore, for Kandinsky music and colour were inextricably tied to one another. This relationship was so clear to him, that he once expressed: “the sound of colours is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with bass notes or dark lake with treble.”

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Read our Post on Kandinsky’s Color TheoryColor Theory is a comprehensive framework used to understand and analyze the use and interaction of colors in visual compositions. It serves as a critical guide for artists, designers, and marketers, helping them create harmonious and effective designs. This concept encompasses various principles and elements that dictate how colors are combined, perceived, and utilized. Primary Colors: • The three foundational: