Vignette next to "Leaves" (Vignette bei "Blätter") (plate, folio 52) from Klänge (Sounds)

"Vignette next to 'Leaves' (Vignette bei 'Blätter') (plate, folio 52) from Klänge (Sounds) by Vasily Kandinsky, created in 1913, is a crucial example of the artist’s graphic work during his transition into full abstraction. This piece is a woodcut, one of fifty-six original prints included within the seminal illustrated book, Klänge (Sounds). The selection of woodcut as the primary medium emphasizes the expressive potential of pure form, texture, and the stark contrast inherent in black and white.

During this pivotal period, Kandinsky was intensely focused on developing a pictorial language divorced from realistic representation, exploring the concept of synesthesia where visual and auditory experiences merge. The severe constraints of the woodcut medium, which forces simplification and reliance on pure linear forms, suited his aesthetic goals perfectly. In this specific vignette, Kandinsky employs dynamic, intersecting lines and both geometric and biomorphic shapes that float free of any definable subject matter. This expressive composition is exemplary of the aesthetic sought by the artist in the broader Klänge portfolio-a profound synthesis of visual art and poetry intended to evoke a non-material, spiritual response from the viewer.

Though primarily associated with German Expressionism and Russian origins, the cultural classification of this illustrated book as French highlights the international circulation and influence of the publication across European avant-garde circles. Klänge helped cemented the artist’s role as a major theorist and practitioner of non-objective art leading up to World War I. The work, along with the full portfolio, resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, preserving this vital moment of early abstraction for scholarly examination.