Three Riders in Red, Blue and Black (Drei Reiter in rot, blau und schwarz) (plate, folio 20) from Klänge (Sounds)

Three Riders in Red, Blue and Black (Drei Reiter in rot, blau und schwarz) (plate, folio 20) from Klänge (Sounds) by Vasily Kandinsky, created in 1913, is a seminal example of early abstraction executed in the print medium. This striking image is a woodcut, produced as part of the artist's highly important illustrated book, which features fifty-six individual prints alongside Kandinsky’s own prose poems. The publication Klänge (Sounds) marked a pivotal moment in the artist's career, showcasing radical experiments that synthesized poetic text with fully abstract visual expressions, pushing the boundaries of book illustration.

The piece exemplifies Kandinsky's commitment to expressive non-representation, utilizing the stark graphic power of the woodcut technique. Although titled Three Riders in Red, Blue and Black, the composition reduces its figurative subjects to dynamic, fragmented forms and vibrant, clashing colors. Kandinsky masterfully employed the woodcut method to emphasize sharp linear contrasts and dynamic spatial relationships, where areas of powerful black and white are punctuated by planes of intense color. This deliberate fracturing of recognizable form showcases the artist’s belief in the spiritual necessity of abstract art during the pivotal period of 1913.

The creation of such an ambitious illustrated book, featuring both text and fifty-six distinct woodcuts, solidifies Kandinsky’s role not only as a seminal abstract painter but also as a master printmaker. This particular plate, folio 20, demonstrates his technique of reducing subjects to essential chromatic and linear forces, where the riders function purely as abstract vectors of movement. The initial production of Klänge, while initiated in Germany, gained cultural significance through subsequent associations linked to French art circles, underscoring the transnational nature of the European avant-garde around 1913. These original prints are foundational documents of abstract art, and this essential piece of modernist history is held within the renowned collection of the Museum of Modern Art.