Photo by: Adam Rzepka - Centre Pompidou, MNAM-CCI /Dist. RMN-GP

Gelb-Rot-Blau

1925

Wassily Kandinsky

Oil on canvas

201.5×128cm

Collection of the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France

In 1922, Kandinsky began teaching at the Bauhaus. It was there that he presented his own theories of art in his book "Point and Line to Plane," and Gelb-Rot-Blau can be seen as an visual interpretation of that book. Kandinsky's early lyrical and spontaneous abstraction gave way to a more geometric and rational abstraction in the 1920s. The foundation of this painting lies in the balance of opposing and contradictory elements. At first glance, there appear to be two contrasting sections: on the left, geometric lines and bright colors, and on the right, more complex forms and deeper tones. However, the focal point of the composition lies in the representation of the primary colors, arranged from left to right in the sequence of yellow, red, and blue.