Suprematist Composition is an iconic work of Russian avant-garde art created by pioneer of abstract art, Kazimir Malevich. Painted in 1916, this oil on canvas piece remained in the artist’s possession for over a decade until 1927 when it was given to German architect Hugo Häring. Also known as Suprematist Composition: Blue Rectangle Over Red Beam, the 88.5 by 71 cm painting features a bold blue geometric rectangle hovering over a vibrant red beam against a white background.
As with Malevich’s other “Suprematist” paintings, Suprematist Composition does not depict any discernible real-world image, but rather articulates its own unique visual language through color, shape and composition. Malevich considered Suprematism a new form of realism in painting, one that rejected representing the natural world in favor of conveying universal truths through pure abstract form. To him, Suprematist art had no practical purpose but existed simply for its own sake, as a philosophical mode of thinking expressed on canvas. Suprematist Composition is one of the most complex and pivotal of these revolutionary abstract works.
After changing hands several times, Suprematist Composition was acquired by the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam where it remained for five decades. It has since passed into an anonymous private collection and its current whereabouts are unknown to the public. Though it can no longer be viewed, this seminal artwork cemented Malevich’s reputation as an innovator who pushed painting into bold new territory in the early 20th century through his Suprematist aesthetic. The meaning and impact of this abstract composition continues to be discussed by art historians and theorists.
The Painting Itself
Suprematist Composition features a bold blue rectangle hovering over a vibrant red beam, both set against a white background. The simple basic geometric forms and limited number of colors exemplify Suprematism’s focus on pure shape, color and composition over representation.
The 88.5 x 71 cm oil painting, also known as Suprematist Composition: Blue Rectangle Over Red Beam, remained in Malevich’s possession for over a decade after its creation in 1916. He did not exhibit the work publicly until 1919.
Compositionally, the blue rectangle tilts subtly away from the picture plane, suggesting a sense of depth and perspective. Yet the relationship between the colored forms remains ambiguous, floating in an indeterminate space. The red beam bisects the canvas horizontally with a narrow band of vibrant pigment.
The surface is completely flat, with no detectable trace of the artist’s hand. There are no visible brushstrokes, just pure, uniform blocks of color. Even the white background lacks any texture of the paint or subtle variations that would create a sense of dimensionality. This smooth, impersonal finish underscores the painting’s radical break from the art of the past.
The Suprematist Philosophy
For Malevich, Suprematism represented a new form of realism in painting that rejected replicating nature. He viewed abstract geometry as a path to expressing higher consciousness – a truer representation of feeling and spirituality than conveying the natural world.
Suprematism sought to discover the sensibilities of a utopian world through pure artistic feeling rather than tangible subjects. The movement pioneered completely nonrepresentational art in the early 20th century.
Malevich saw Suprematism as more than just an aesthetic style, but as a way of seeing the world. For him, the visual vocabulary of simple shapes and colors offered a kind of spiritual purity and access to philosophical truth.
Suprematist paintings were meant to give viewers a feeling of floating and transcendence by removing all visual references to physical reality. Malevich thought representational art imprisoned feeling, while abstraction could reveal the essence of a new consciousness.
Breaking Artistic Boundaries
Suprematist Composition broke radically from the pictorial arts tradition of illusionistic space. Malevich called it the “zero point of painting” – marking an end to art’s reliance on nature and convention.
The work put pure aesthetic theory above visual reality, conveying spiritual freedom from material constraints. It epitomized the search for meaning through abstraction that dominated the Russian avant-garde.
Malevich conceived of Suprematism as a totally new start, unlike other abstract styles like Cubism that developed incrementally. His aim was an art of pure feeling, not dependent on any external reference point. This was a revolutionary vision of painting as its own reality.
The jarring contrast of colored shapes against the white void of Suprematist Composition shocks precisely because of its total break from tradition. Yet there is a strange beauty in its reduction of painting to the most essential elements – color, form, line. It’s a testament to Malevich’s relentless vision.
Paving the Way for Abstract Art
As one of Malevich’s most famous revolutionary abstract paintings, Suprematist Composition helped cement his reputation as a pioneer of abstraction. The painting had a pivotal impact, shocking with its stark contrast to artistic feeling expressed through tradition.
While its whereabouts are now hidden from the public, the work remains an icon of abstraction. The visual language Malevich invented with this radical non-objective approach continues to inspire artists breaking conventional assumptions about art.
Malevich expanded on the philosophy behind Suprematist Composition in his writings, including his manifesto From Cubism and Futurism to Suprematism. He rejected the gradualist view of artistic development in favor of sudden, intuitive discovery. This idea greatly impacted the progression of modern art.
Malevich gave legitimacy to abstraction as a valid means of conveying profound ideas. He freed painting from needing to represent something, paving the way for pure abstract artists like Mark Rothko. The Suprematists liberated art from tradition, letting it exist on its own terms.
The Enduring Mystery and Allure of Suprematism
Part of what makes Suprematist Composition so gripping is its ambiguity. Devoid of any reference points, the viewer projects their own meaning onto the colored forms. The work evokes purity, infinity, liberation, transcendence – yet always retains an elusive quality.
Unlike artists who claimed concrete metaphysical concepts for their abstractions, Malevich preferred keeping things open-ended. He wanted the paintings to exist in their own realm, hovering outside of language. This resistance to fixed interpretation is a core part of their mystique.
The Journey of Malevich’s Suprematist Composition
This iconic work of Russian art, Suprematist Composition by Kazimir Malevich, has a fascinating history intertwined with major art institutions. Originally part of Malevich’s collection, the painting ended up in Germany after the artist exhibited it at the Provinzialmuseum in Hannover and sold it to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1927.
During World War II, the Stedelijk moved the painting into storage to save it from destruction. In 1958, Alfred Barr, founding director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, borrowed the work for an exhibition. Drawn to its bold geometric abstraction, Barr tried unsuccessfully to acquire Suprematist Composition for MoMA’s permanent collection.
Decades later, as part of a Provenance Research Project funded by the Berliner family, MoMA collaborated with the Stedelijk from 1999-2004 to trace the ownership history of works in their collections that changed hands during WWII. MoMA confirmed that there were no issues with the provenance of Suprematist Composition.
In November 2008, the painting sold for $60 million at a Christie’s auction to an anonymous buyer. This historic sale amazed the art world, setting a record for a Malevich and Russian work of art. It dwarfed the previous record of $17 million and marked the dramatic rise of the Russian avant-garde on the international art market.
Malevich himself wrote that through his radical abstract style, he “destroyed the ring of the horizon” and escaped “the circle of things, the horizon-ring that confines the artist and forms of nature.” The work reflects his vision of a “world of pure feeling” expressed through geometric shapes bearing no relation to nature. This first step into pure abstraction would open new frontiers in 20th century art.
Comparing Kazimir Malevich’s Suprematist Composition
| Painting | Date | Description | Style & Technique | Comparison to Suprematist Composition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suprematist Composition | 1916 | Blue rectangle over red beam on white background | Flat, minimalist geometric forms, limited color palette | N/A – the original Suprematist painting |
| Black Square | 1913 | Black square on white background | Very flat, no texture or brushstrokes. Pure abstraction. | Also extremely minimalist, focused just on form and color |
| White on White | 1918 | White square on white background | Monochrome painting exploring variations in white | Even more simplified composition, but still focused on abstract geometry |
| Red Square | 1915 | Red square tilted on white background | Flat, minimalist forms like other Suprematist works | More dynamic than Suprematist Composition with the tilted square |
| 8 Red Rectangles | 1915 | 8 red rectangles of varying sizes | Geometric abstraction | More complex composition than Suprematist Composition with multiple forms |
| Suprematist Painting | 1916 | Shapes & lines in black, red and blue | Abstract geometric style | More active composition with overlapping shapes and diagonal lines |
Frequently Asked Questions about Malevich’s Suprematist Composition
What is Suprematist Composition?
Suprematist Composition is an abstract painting by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich created in 1916. It consists of a blue rectangle over a red beam against a white background.
What art movement is Suprematist Composition associated with?
The painting is a prime example of Suprematism, an abstract art movement pioneered by Malevich in the early 20th century. Suprematist works focused on basic geometric forms and colors.
What were the dimensions of the original painting?
The oil on canvas painting measures 88.5 cm x 71 cm (approximately 34.8 in x 28 in).
What colors feature prominently in the painting?
The main colors are blue, red, and white. The blue tilted rectangle contrasts with the vibrant red horizontal beam below.
How does Suprematist Composition exemplify Malevich’s philosophy?
In reducing painting to pure shape and color, devoid of any representation, Malevich believed he could express philosophical and spiritual truths more profoundly than with traditional art.
Why is the painting considered so revolutionary?
When it was created, Suprematist Composition went radically against the tradition of illusionistic, perspective-based art by freeing painting from the need to depict real objects or scenes.
Where is Suprematist Composition located today?
After being held by the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam for many years, the painting passed into a private collection. Its exact location is now unknown.
Why does Suprematist Composition remain influential?
As an icon of early abstract art, the work’s innovative approach continues to inspire artists and provoke debate about the boundaries of painting.
Conclusion
Over a century since its creation, Suprematist Composition still feels radical and even disorienting when viewed. By foregrounding pure aesthetic sensation, it remains timeless. Malevich forged a new path where painting didn’t have to represent anything but its own ineffable essence. The possibilities engendered by this breakthrough continue to resonate.