Vassily Krandinksy - Green Splinter

Wassily Kandinsky

"Green Splinter" (German title: Grüner Splitter), and it was painted in 1925 during his time at the Bauhaus in Germany.

• Artist: Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944).

• Date: 1925.

• Style: Geometric Abstraction (Bauhaus period).

Analysis of the Artwork

In the 1920s, Kandinsky moved away from the chaotic, expressive "Improvisations" of his early career toward a more structured, geometric style. This painting is a classic example of that shift:

• The Circle: You’ll notice the prominent red circle in the center. For Kandinsky, the circle was the most "cosmic" of all shapes, representing a synthesis of opposites.

• The Semicircle: The blue semicircle at the bottom acts as a "vessel" for other elements, a common motif in his Bauhaus-era work.

• The Crosses and Lines: The sharp black lines and crosses (the "splinters") provide a rhythmic, musical tension against the soft, nebulous green background.

• The Background: The "green" in the title refers to the central, cloud-like shape that anchors the various geometric symbols, creating a sense of depth as if they are floating in an atmospheric space.