Duel (Poedinok) from Verses Without Words (Stichi bez slov)

Duel (Poedinok) from Verses Without Words (Stichi bez slov) by Vasily Kandinsky is a compelling early print created in 1903. This specific work is a woodcut, one of twelve core prints from the significant portfolio Verses Without Words, a collection that also included a title page, a table of contents, a supplementary woodcut, and a woodcut colophon. This medium emphasizes stark graphic contrasts, utilizing the high relief technique inherent to the woodcut to create dramatic, simplified forms characteristic of the period.

Although Kandinsky is primarily recognized for his pioneering role in pure abstraction, this figurative piece demonstrates his early command of Expressionist tendencies, influenced heavily by the Symbolist and Jugendstil movements prevalent across European art circles, particularly within the French cultural sphere of that era. The work, dated 1903, captures a narrative intensity that foreshadows the emotional resonance he would later seek to evoke through color and form alone. The subject matter, a duel, is rendered with dynamic tension and a severe compositional clarity, maximizing the limited tonal range afforded by the technique.

The creation of such prints was crucial to Kandinsky's development, allowing him to explore sequential narrative and the visual equivalence of poetic rhythm. The entire series, Verses Without Words, served as a pivotal step in his journey toward divorcing image from literal representation. These early graphic works provide vital insight into the artist’s aesthetic concerns before his revolutionary breakthrough into non-objective painting. This singular woodcut, like others from the portfolio, highlights Kandinsky’s mastery of prints during this transitional phase. The work resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it serves as a key reference for understanding the formative years of this pivotal modern artist.