Rider Motif in Oval Form (Reitermotiv in ovaler Form (headpiece, page 10) from Über das Geistige in der Kunst (Concerning the Spiritual in Art)

Rider Motif in Oval Form (Reitermotiv in ovaler Form (headpiece, page 10) from Über das Geistige in der Kunst (Concerning the Spiritual in Art)) by Vasily Kandinsky is a crucial graphic work produced in 1911. This small, powerful image is classified as an Illustrated Book component, specifically one of eleven woodcut prints created to accompany Kandinsky’s seminal theoretical treatise, Über das Geistige in der Kunst, first published in Munich. The book served as the artist’s foundational manifesto on the spiritual necessity of non-objective art and the symbolic language of color and form.

The work exhibits the characteristic stark, expressive quality of the woodcut technique. Kandinsky utilizes bold, simplified lines and contrasting negative space to define the forms. The central motif of the rider on horseback was a highly recurrent symbol in the artist’s early career, often representing spiritual awakening, artistic transition, and the apocalyptic drive toward abstraction. Here, the dynamic movement of the figure is contained within a defined oval, which anchors the restless energy within a clear, geometric boundary. This graphic simplicity found in the woodcut technique anticipates the artist's rapid movement toward complete non-objective painting in the years immediately following 1911.

The publication of this book in 1911 marks a defining moment in early 20th-century artistic thought, bridging the Expressionist movement with purely abstract ideals. Although the treatise was originally published in Germany, its profound conceptual impact quickly spread, making this specific period culturally significant to the French reception of modernism. The work, particularly its dissemination as easily reproducible prints, was instrumental in shaping the theoretical basis for abstract art across Europe. This historically important illustrated book component resides in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).