Artwork
Heavy Circles
Heavy Circles is an oil painting by the Bauhaus artist Wassily Kandinsky. It dates from 1927 and is held in the collection of the Norton Simon Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1927, Heavy Circles is an oil on canvas work by Wassily Kandinsky. The composition is dominated by a series of strong, overlapping circular forms that generate a rhythmic visual tension. Executed during his tenure at the Bauhaus, the painting exemplifies the artist’s shift toward pure abstraction and his interest in the interplay of shape and hue.
Subject & Meaning
Kandinsky intended such forms to evoke inner sensations, aligning with his belief that abstract shapes could convey spiritual states.
The work does not depict recognizable objects; instead it investigates the emotional resonance of geometric elements. The concentric and intersecting circles suggest a dynamic equilibrium, inviting viewers to experience the painting through color relationships and spatial balance rather than narrative content. Kandinsky intended such forms to evoke inner sensations, aligning with his belief that abstract shapes could convey spiritual states.
Technique & Style
Rendered in oil, the piece employs flat, unmodulated color fields that emphasize the crisp edges of each circle. Kandinsky’s brushwork is restrained, allowing the paint’s surface to remain smooth and uniform. The palette consists of contrasting primary and secondary hues, reflecting the Bauhaus emphasis on systematic color theory and the artist’s own investigations into visual harmonies.
History & Provenance
Born in Moscow in 1866, Kandinsky began formal artistic training only after the age of thirty, studying in Munich under Anton Ažbe and at the Academy of Fine Arts. By the early 1920s he held a teaching position at the Bauhaus schools in Weimar and later Dessau, where he produced Heavy Circles. The painting remained in the artist’s estate before entering public collections in the mid‑20th century.
Context
The late 1920s marked a period when the Bauhaus promoted the integration of fine art, design, and architecture. Kandinsky’s involvement placed him among peers who prioritized geometric abstraction and functional aesthetics. Heavy Circles reflects this environment, embodying the school’s doctrine that visual elements could be reduced to basic forms and colors without reference to external subjects.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky (16 December 1866 – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter and art theorist active in Germany during the late Belle Époque and Interwar eras.
