Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 2

Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 2 is a significant abstract painting created by Vasily Kandinsky in 1914. Executed in oil on canvas, this work belongs to a major series commissioned by the American collector Edwin R. Campbell, intended to decorate the walls of his New York apartment. This commission marked a critical point in the artist's career, solidifying his position as a pioneer of pure abstraction through monumental, site-specific work. Created just before the outbreak of World War I, the piece captures the energy and instability of the European avant-garde during this pivotal year.

The artistic atmosphere of 1914 was characterized by radical experimentation, driven by cultural ferment stemming from Russian, German, and French artistic movements. Though Kandinsky himself was Russian, this work is cataloged within the broader cultural context of the French avant-garde, where abstraction was finding crucial philosophical and commercial ground. Kandinsky abandoned all vestiges of traditional representation, choosing instead to rely on the spiritual and emotional power of non-objective forms. This painting features a dynamic explosion of colors and lines that suggest a chaotic, yet carefully structured, internal landscape. Abstract masses float and interact, demonstrating the artist’s belief that painting could communicate directly with the soul, much like music.

The set of Campbell panels, including Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 2, represents one of the earliest and most successful instances of architectural abstract art commissions in modern history. The work emphasizes the artist’s move away from pictorial narrative toward formal elements: the tension between geometry and improvisational handling of paint. Today, this groundbreaking example of early modern abstraction is held in the renowned collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, where it serves as a central reference point for the history of non-objective art. As a highly studied and influential piece from the period, reproductions and prints are frequently utilized for educational purposes, helping to document Kandinsky’s seminal contribution to the international abstract movement.