Klänge, Plate 12 Print – Wassily Kandinsky

Klänge, Plate 12: a Kandinsky composition in red, blue and black

This Kandinsky reproduction, listed as Klänge, Plate 12, brings together red, blue and black forms against a light background. Strong diagonal lines cross the composition, while curves and sharply defined contours echo one another. A black border gathers the densely arranged shapes into an almost square image.

An image brought to life by contrast

Blue fills broad areas in the centre and lower left. Red appears in bands and smaller accents, broken up by black shapes and patches of light background. The forms seem to overlap, yet their outlines remain distinct enough for the eye to follow several directions.

The light background plays an active part: it separates some elements and opens up spaces within the composition. You can take in the image as a continuous movement, then pause over a line, a curve or an individual shape. This interplay of colour and open space creates its visual rhythm.

Klänge: images in conversation with poetry

Klänge, meaning “Sounds”, is a book by Kandinsky published in 1913. It combines thirty-eight prose poems with fifty-six woodcuts. As MoMA explains, the project brings text and images together in an exploration that accompanied the artist’s development of abstraction.

Discover more compositions in our collection of Wassily Kandinsky prints. Compare this concentrated palette with Yellow-Red-Blue, or explore the relationships between circles and lines in Composition VIII.

A graphic print for your interior

The bold contrasts can create a focal point on a light wall in a study or living room. A few blue or red accessories are enough to echo the palette. Leave space around the image to give its many details room to breathe, and allow enough viewing distance to appreciate the overall movement. Choose from the available sizes and options to suit your space.