Blue (Blau)

Blue (Blau) by Vasily Kandinsky is a pivotal abstract work created in 1927. This distinctive piece, rendered in oil on board, demonstrates the rigorous geometric and color-based explorations that defined the later career of the Russian-born pioneer of non-objective art. Though cataloged as a drawing, the application of paint gives the work the complexity and density of a finished painting. Due to the location and context of its creation, it is appropriately associated with French culture, where Kandinsky spent a significant part of his mature life, particularly following his time teaching at the German Bauhaus. This historically important painting is currently held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Created during a highly productive and theoretical phase, the composition of Blue (Blau) reflects Kandinsky’s deep commitment to synthesizing geometric structure with deeply spiritual color theory. The surface is dominated by floating arcs, sharp lines, and precisely placed shapes. Kandinsky, who famously associated blue with depth, spirituality, and the infinite, employs the titular color not merely as a background but as an active, resonant field that seems to recede into infinity. The careful arrangement of circles, arcs, and trapezoidal elements against this intense ground reflects the artist’s theoretical investigations into the relationship between music and visual art, prioritizing intellectual structure over purely spontaneous expression.

The year 1927 was a critical juncture for Kandinsky, marking a period where his abstraction solidified into a structured, almost cosmic visual language. This work exemplifies the aesthetic clarity he achieved while filtering German design principles through his own innate passion for the expressive power of color. Now residing within the prestigious MoMA collection, this piece serves as essential reference material for understanding the evolution of abstract painting. Given its stature as a seminal work of the early twentieth century, high-quality prints and reproductions are frequently sought after, ensuring its continued influence in the study of modern art.