Black Square and Red Square - Kazimir Malevich
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Description
A seminal work of Suprematism, this 1915 painting by Kazimir Malevich explores pure geometric form and colour, rejecting representational art.
Kazimir Malevich created Black Square and Red Square in 1915, a period during which he developed his theory of Suprematism. This movement sought to move beyond the representation of objects in the physical world, focusing instead on the supremacy of pure feeling or perception in the pictorial arts. By stripping away narrative, symbolism, and traditional perspective, Malevich aimed to reach a zero point of painting.
The composition consists of two geometric forms placed against a neutral, off-white background. The black square occupies the upper left, while the red square is positioned lower and to the right. The slight tilt of the red square introduces a sense of tension and movement, contrasting with the static, upright orientation of the black square. The paint application is deliberate, showing the texture of the brushwork across the surface of the canvas.
Malevich presented this work at the 0.10 Exhibition in Petrograd, where he famously hung his black square in the corner of the room, a position traditionally reserved for religious icons in Russian homes. This placement was a calculated gesture, intended to replace the spiritual authority of the icon with the new, non-objective reality of Suprematist art. The work rejects the imitation of nature, prioritising the relationship between colour, form, and space. It remains a primary example of early twentieth-century abstraction, reflecting the artist's desire to liberate art from the constraints of social and political utility. The simplicity of the forms invites the viewer to engage with the canvas as a self-contained object, rather than a window into another world.
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Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Black Square and Red Square - Kazimir Malevich
Artist Biography
Kazimir Malevich
He was born in 1879 near Kyiv, to parents of Polish origin, the eldest of fourteen children. Nine survived to adulthood. He moved through Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, and Cubism before arriving at Suprematism, a system of pure geometric abstraction that he invented in 1913. White on White (1918) pushed the principle to its logical end: a white square, barely visible, tilted on a white background.
In 1927, he took approximately seventy paintings to Berlin for an exhibition. Soviet authorities recalled him abruptly. He left the entire cache with a German architect named Hugo Haering and never saw them again. The works eventually ended up at MoMA in New York and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
In 1930, the secret police arrested him, accused him of Polish espionage, and threatened execution. He was imprisoned for two months. His teaching position was taken away. Artworks and manuscripts were confiscated. He was banned from making art and forced to return to figurative painting under Stalin.
He died of cancer in 1935, aged fifty-six. On his deathbed, Black Square was hung above him. His ashes were buried at Nemchinovka. He had requested a Suprematist sculptural form to mark his grave. Instead, it was marked with a white cube bearing a black square, which was destroyed during the war.
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