Composition VIII

Wassily Kandinsky rendered this Composition VIII in 1923 during his tenure at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany. Geometric forms in dynamic relationships float across a cool background: circles, triangles, lines, and arcs interact without representing any physical objects. A large black circle in the upper left anchors the composition.

This was Kandinsky's first systematic application of his theories about color, form, and their psychological effects. He believed geometric shapes had spiritual properties. The painting also marks the beginning of his long fascination with the circle. Where earlier Compositions were apocalyptic, this one achieves repose.

Solomon R. Guggenheim bought Composition VIII in 1930 after visiting the Bauhaus. It was among his first purchases of what became a major collection. The painting hangs at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, measuring 140 x 201 cm.