Towards Evening (Vecer) from Verses Without Words (Stichi bez slov)

Towards Evening (Vecer) from Verses Without Words (Stichi bez slov) by Vasily Kandinsky is an essential print dating from 1903, marking a crucial moment in the artist’s early graphic development. This compelling woodcut is one component of the complete portfolio Verses Without Words, an ambitious project that predates Kandinsky’s full commitment to non-objective abstraction.

The complete portfolio, from which this work originates, comprised a total of twelve individual woodcuts, accompanied by a woodcut title page, a table of contents, a supplementary woodcut, and a colophon. Kandinsky utilized the demanding print technique of the woodcut to explore rhythmic compositions and stark contrasts of black and white, capitalizing on the medium’s ability to render crisp, decisive lines. The formal characteristics of the work, employing strong directional movement and simplified figurative elements, foreshadow the symbolic and expressive concerns that would define his mature style.

Although his subsequent career flourished primarily within Russian and German artistic circles, this particular edition was executed while Kandinsky was influenced by the milieu of French culture in the early 1900s. This early graphic series demonstrates the artist’s deep engagement with Symbolist aesthetics while actively experimenting with form and line—a critical step toward dissolving objective imagery. The systematic organization of the 1903 Verses Without Words signaled Kandinsky’s interest in creating unified artistic books. This important print, illustrating the transition between fin-de-siècle expressive realism and the pioneering movements of abstract art, is preserved in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.