Improvisation 22, Variation II (headpiece, folio 42) from Klänge (Sounds)

Improvisation 22, Variation II (headpiece, folio 42) from Klänge (Sounds) is a powerful, early abstract work created by Vasily Kandinsky in 1913. This piece is a black-and-white woodcut, specifically part of the artist’s seminal illustrated book Klänge (Sounds), which contained fifty-six woodcuts and was first published in Munich. It represents a critical moment in Kandinsky's career, positioning him firmly at the forefront of the move toward non-objective art.

The work exemplifies Kandinsky's radical abandonment of figurative representation. Utilizing the raw, expressive potential of the woodcut medium, the composition features dynamic, stark black forms set against white space, suggesting explosive movement and musical cadence rather than concrete objects. Kandinsky intentionally titled his works during this period using terms like "Improvisation" and "Composition," linking his abstract visual language directly to the structure and spontaneity of music.

Klänge was not simply a book of illustrations, but a complex experiment where Kandinsky paired his own poetic texts, which often employed internal rhymes and abstract syntax, with equally non-representational imagery. The inclusion of the Improvisation 22 series, here presented as a specific variation and headpiece, demonstrates the artist’s methodology of continuous development and refinement of a single motif through different visual iterations.

Although Kandinsky was Russian, the book's classification as French references its extensive distribution and influence across the European avant-garde during this highly transitional period. While created in the revolutionary year 1913, the continued impact of these expressive prints remains profound for modern art history. This particular variation is recognized as a key example of the Illustrated Book genre and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).