Wassily Kandinsky’s “Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles”
A Deep Analysis and Interpretation
Wassily Kandinsky’s Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles, created in 1913, stands as one of the most recognized and celebrated studies in modern art. Despite its apparent simplicity, this composition radiates profound meaning, rich symbolism, and an extraordinary use of color theory. While often mistakenly seen as a standalone painting, this piece is, in fact, a color study , a preparatory work , that reflects Kandinsky’s complex relationship with color, shape, emotion, and spiritual resonance in visual art. This article delves into an in-depth analysis of the painting, explores its symbolism, artistic context, and historical background, and investigates where the piece resides today.
What is “Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles”?
Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles (also known in some texts as Farbstudie – Quadrate mit konzentrischen Ringen) is a small-scale watercolor and crayon painting on paper by Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky. As the name suggests, the composition features a grid of squares, each filled with concentric circles of varying colors. Typically, viewers encounter a layout of 12 squares, organized in a 3×4 grid. Each square hosts a unique arrangement of concentric circles that differ in hue, intensity, and pattern.
Although seemingly a simple exploration of form and palette, this work is a pivotal expression of Kandinsky’s quest to understand how colors interact, how they evoke emotion, and how geometric forms can serve as vessels of spiritual communication.
Background and Artistic Context
Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) was a pioneer of abstract art and one of the most influential figures in the early 20th-century avant-garde movement. Deeply influenced by music, spirituality, and synesthetic experiences (a neurological condition where one sense involuntarily triggers another , for Kandinsky, he “heard” colors), Kandinsky believed that colors and forms could be used to express the inner truths of the human spirit.
In 1911, he co-founded Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) group in Munich alongside Franz Marc, Paul Klee, and others. The group emphasized personal expression, symbolism, and the emotional impact of color and form over representational accuracy. It was within this innovative and introspective context that Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles was created.
This painting was never intended as a finished piece. It functioned as a color exercise , a study in contrasts, harmonies, and the spiritual effects of chromatic interaction. Yet its iconic status today demonstrates how even a study can capture the essence of an artist’s deeper vision.
Symbolism and Interpretation
Though abstract, Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles carries rich symbolic meaning that extends beyond its basic elements. Let’s explore the layered interpretations that have been associated with this painting:
1. The Spiritual Resonance of Color
Kandinsky’s 1911 treatise Concerning the Spiritual in Art provides essential context for understanding this study. In it, Kandinsky argues that colors possess inherent spiritual values. For example:
Blue: Symbolizes spirituality and depth. The darker the blue, the more it conveys the feeling of infinity.
Yellow: Represents warmth, energy, and extroversion. Bright yellows can evoke unease or agitation.
Red: Expresses strength and vitality. It is a powerful, assertive color that stimulates the viewer.
Green: A mixture of blue and yellow, it often indicates peace, balance, and passivity.
Black: Signifies closure or the absence of possibility, while white suggests silence or a beginning.
In Color Study, each concentric circle arrangement produces different emotional effects based on the juxtaposition of these colors. Some combinations appear soothing, others tense or vibrant. Kandinsky is not merely playing with palette , he is orchestrating a symphony of color with emotional resonance.
2. Circles as Universal Symbols
The circle was one of Kandinsky’s favorite shapes. Unlike squares or triangles, the circle suggests wholeness, infinity, and unity. It is both dynamic and centered, capable of expressing motion and stillness. In this work, the repetition of the circle within square confines can be interpreted as the harmony between inner life (the circle) and external structure (the square).
Some scholars see the concentric circles as visual metaphors for expanding consciousness or spiritual awakening. The center of each circle becomes a focal point , like the pupil of an eye, a portal into a deeper dimension of experience.
3. The Grid: A Meditative Matrix
By placing the circles within a grid, Kandinsky introduces rhythm and structure. The grid functions like musical measures, dividing visual time and space. While each square is unique, the repetition invites contemplation. This grid can be likened to a visual mantra , each cell a meditation on a different emotional chord or spiritual state.
Moreover, the juxtaposition of chaos (color variability) and order (gridded symmetry) reflects the tension between personal emotion and formal discipline , a core dialectic in abstract art.
What Is the Meaning of the Painting?
At a superficial glance, it may seem that not much is “happening” in Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles. There are no people, objects, or landscapes , just repeating shapes and vivid color arrangements. However, this apparent stillness belies the dynamic visual and emotional activity embedded in the work.
Each square in the grid is a unique “event” , a controlled experiment in how color interactions can alter perception and feeling. For example, a red center encircled by green might vibrate with intensity, while a blue center encased in pale yellow may feel serene or melancholic. The painting becomes an orchestra of optical effects, with each circle playing its note in Kandinsky’s larger symphony.
Also, the irregularity of the circles and their hand-drawn quality suggest that Kandinsky was more interested in expressive immediacy than geometric perfection. The variability humanizes the abstraction and emphasizes spontaneity and exploration.
What Type of Art Is This?
Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles is best classified under abstract art and more specifically as an expressionist and symbolist study. It is not an example of geometric abstraction in the rigid sense but rather belongs to lyrical abstraction , a form that prioritizes personal emotion, intuition, and symbolic content over precise mathematical structure.
The painting also intersects with color theory studies, an academic and practical tradition that investigates the effects of color interactions. Artists like Josef Albers and Johannes Itten (a Bauhaus contemporary of Kandinsky) later conducted similar explorations, but Kandinsky’s study remains unique in its fusion of scientific curiosity and spiritual longing.
Color Theory in the Painting
Kandinsky was deeply influenced by the Bauhaus philosophy, which emphasized the functional and emotional properties of design elements. In this study, we see color theory in action:
Contrast and Complementarity: Opposing hues like red-green or blue-orange create visual tension.
Warm vs. Cool Tones: Warm tones tend to advance; cool tones recede, influencing depth perception.
Saturation and Value: Changes in brightness and saturation manipulate the viewer’s emotional and psychological engagement.
This painting is often used in educational settings to teach basic color principles because it demonstrates these concepts so elegantly.
Despite being a preparatory work, Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles has become one of Kandinsky’s most reproduced images. It has transcended its original role as a mere study and is now revered as a complete aesthetic statement. Its appeal spans from academic circles to popular culture, and it has become a gateway into the world of abstract art for many viewers.
Its childlike simplicity also resonates in art therapy and education, where it encourages emotional exploration and creative experimentation.
Where Is Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles Located Today?
The original Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles is housed at the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, located in Munich, Germany. The Lenbachhaus holds one of the most comprehensive collections of works by members of the Blue Rider group, thanks to contributions from Kandinsky’s contemporaries and friends, including Gabriele Münter.
As part of the permanent collection, it is often displayed alongside other works that contextualize Kandinsky’s development as an abstract painter and theorist.
A Masterpiece in Disguise
Color Study: Squares with Concentric Circles is more than just an experiment in color. It is a window into the mind of an artist who believed that visual art could transcend material reality and touch the soul. Through simple forms , circles within squares , Kandinsky communicates profound truths about emotion, perception, harmony, and spiritual connection.
Its enduring popularity is a testament to its accessibility and depth. Whether viewed as a scientific inquiry into color, a symbolic map of human feeling, or a meditative visual poem, Kandinsky’s study remains an iconic and beloved work in the canon of modern art. It challenges us to look beyond the obvious, to consider how colors speak, and to find meaning in the abstract.
In a world inundated with complex images and messages, Color Study offers a quiet yet powerful reminder: sometimes, the simplest forms carry the deepest truths.
