Lithograph printed in Paris by Atelier Maeght in 1962 after the 1913 painting by Wassily Kandinsky.  Excellent condition, center fold as issued.  The verso of this lithograph on one side has text written in French, along with a facsimile of Kandinsky's preface to the premier issue of "Der Blaue Reiter" (The Blue Rider) art magazine, and on the other side, a page of sheet music.  Signed in stone lower left.  Sheet size: 15 x 22 inches; print size: 15 x 19 inches.  Contact us for framing options.
 
Atelier Maeght is one of the most renowned printmakers in history, producing prints of the highest quality.
 
Wassily Kandinsky (1866 - 1944) was a Russian-born painter and art theorist, one of the first creators of pure abstraction in modern painting.  After successful Avant-Garde exhibitions, he founded the influential "Der Blaue Reiter" (The Blue Rider), a magazine which was run by fellow artists of the Expressionist movement, and began completely abstract painting.  His forms evolved from fluid and organic to geometric, and to pictographic.  His influence on 20th-century art was profound. 
 
"Composition VII" is considered one of Kandinsky’s pre-WWI masterpieces, and one of the most imminent works from the Blue Rider movement.   At the initial viewing it looks like a series of confused shapes and colors that have come together for no apparent reason.  However, it was meticulously planned before its final rendition.  Kandinsky made 30 preliminary sketches and versions, working with charcoal, oil paints and water colors.  Kandinsky was keenly interested in music and often his titles too were devoid of figurative subjects but were named after pieces of music. It was Kandinsky’s belief that art and music and color were intrinsically linked.  “Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.”  In this context, "Composition VII" has been often referred to as "operatic".  It is one of his largest works, measuring 6 ft x 10 ft.  "Composition VII" is part of the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow.  Like other studies for "Composition VII", the painting upon which this lithograph was produced shows little resemblance to the finished painting, and at 30 x 40 inches, is considerably smaller.  Still, "Study for Composition VII" is a classic example of Kandinsky’s work: chaotic, compelling and colorful.  The lithograph is executed such that it appears to be a painting.