Small Worlds II - Wassily Kandinsky

A 1922 lithograph by Wassily Kandinsky, featuring geometric forms and primary colours from his Bauhaus period.

Small Worlds II is a lithograph from the 1922 portfolio titled Small Worlds, produced during Kandinsky's tenure at the Bauhaus. This period saw the artist move away from the fluid, organic forms of his earlier work towards a more disciplined, geometric vocabulary. The composition relies on the interaction between primary colours and distinct shapes, demonstrating his interest in the relationship between individual elements and the collective whole.

A large, central blue oval anchors the image, providing a stable base for the surrounding geometric components. Overlaid upon this are sharp, black lines and a solid black circle, which create a sense of tension against the softer, curved forms. Kandinsky employs stippled textures within the crescent and triangular shapes, adding a tactile quality to the otherwise flat planes of colour. The yellow arc at the base provides a counterpoint to the blue, while the sparse placement of these elements across the off-white background suggests a deliberate, calculated arrangement.

Kandinsky viewed these prints as a means to explore the potential of abstract form to communicate beyond representational limits. By stripping away external references, he focuses on the internal logic of the image. The work reflects his analytical approach to visual language, where each shape and line functions as a component in a larger system of balance and contrast. The print remains a clear example of his mid-career shift toward the precise, structural aesthetics that defined his teaching and practice at the Bauhaus school in Weimar.