Small Worlds XII (Kleine Welten XII) from Smalls Worlds (Kleine Welten)

Small Worlds XII (Kleine Welten XII) from Smalls Worlds (Kleine Welten) is a significant print created by Vasily Kandinsky in 1922. This piece is one of twelve prints that constitute the Small Worlds portfolio, a pivotal collection in Kandinsky’s graphic oeuvre. The work is specifically executed in drypoint, a technique known for producing rich, velvety lines due to the raised burr left on the copper plate after incising. The complete 1922 portfolio demonstrates Kandinsky’s technical versatility, encompassing six lithographs (including two transferred from woodcuts), four drypoints, and two original woodcuts.

Created shortly after the artist began teaching at the Weimar Bauhaus, this piece reflects the increasing influence of geometric forms and rigorous structural organization that characterized Kandinsky’s artistic shift in the early 1920s. While rooted stylistically in his Bauhaus experiments, the portfolio itself was produced and circulated within the larger French cultural sphere, marking its presence in the post-war European art market of 1922. Kandinsky’s prints from this era moved decisively beyond the fluid, lyrical abstraction of his earlier work, incorporating precise circles, triangles, and angular elements that defined his mature, non-objective style. The dynamic balance between sharply defined geometry and swirling kinetic energy exemplified in Small Worlds XII showcases the artist’s lifelong exploration of underlying cosmic structures through pure abstract form.

As a vital example of early 20th-century abstraction, this drypoint encapsulates Kandinsky’s transition toward systematic formalism. The success of the Small Worlds portfolio cemented Kandinsky’s reputation as a leading innovator whose influential works were made accessible through high-quality prints and limited editions. Today, this important work resides in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) collection, where it serves as a critical reference point for scholars examining the development of geometric abstraction and the widespread distribution of modern art through reproducible media.