Small Worlds I (Kleine Welten I) from Small Worlds (Kleine Welten) by Vasily Kandinsky is an essential work in the artist’s graphic oeuvre, created in 1922. This piece is one of six lithographs included in the influential Small Worlds portfolio, a pivotal series that cemented Kandinsky's commitment to purely non-objective representation following his tenure at the Bauhaus in Weimar.
The complete portfolio, published in 1922, contained twelve diverse prints showcasing the master’s command of various graphic processes: six lithographs, four drypoints, and two woodcuts (two of which were transferred to lithography). This specific lithograph, Small Worlds I, exhibits Kandinsky's mature abstract style, which emphasizes dynamic structure, geometric precision, and an interplay of intersecting lines and floating shapes. Unlike his earlier, more lyrical abstractions, the composition here suggests a complex, internal mechanism, reflecting the formal discipline the artist embraced upon his return to Germany. The technical fluidity of the lithographic medium allowed Kandinsky to achieve the nuanced tonal variations and swift compositional energy present in the print.
Although Kandinsky was a Russian émigré based in Germany when the series was executed, the widespread distribution of these powerful prints played a significant role in the development of modern abstract movements, particularly influencing artists associated with French art culture in the mid-1920s. This print series represents a critical transitional phase in Kandinsky’s aesthetic evolution, moving toward greater linearity and structural clarity. The original work resides in the distinguished collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York. As a foundational modernist work created in 1922, the series is routinely studied, and high-quality prints and documentation are often available through public domain sources, ensuring the accessibility of this vital chapter in the history of abstract art.
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