Klänge (Sounds), 1912 (dated 1913)
Color woodcuts, black-and-white woodcuts, and letterpress; bound volumeexpand_more
Gift of Bruce B. Daytonexpand_more B.83.18
Not on Viewexpand_more
Klänge (Sounds) evokes the range of Kandinsky's artistic vision from Russian folk art and Jugendstil (Viennese Art Nouveau) to his pioneering abstractions, which profoundly influenced the direction of 20th-century art. Featuring poems written by the artist, Sounds explores the correlation between the senses of sight and hearing. Kandinsky was believed by some to have had synaesthesia, a condition whereby individuals may "hear" color or "see" sounds. Whether true or not, his artistic theories focused on the idea of a visual music, the painterly equivalent of a symphony, which is simultaneously seen and heard.
Kandinsky intended that his poems for Sounds be read aloud, and in fact, the Zürich Dadaists recited them at the Cabaret Voltaire as part of their frequently raucous performances.
Details
- Title
- Klänge (Sounds)
- Artist Life
- French, born Russia, 1866–1944
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- B.83.18
- Provenance
- [Galerie Kornfeld, Bern, Switzerland, sold to Tunick]; [David Tunick, Inc., New York, sold to Dayton]; Bruce B. Dayton, Wayzata, Minn. given to MIA, 1983.
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Boston 138; MoMA 89; Stern 52; Roethel 72-74, 85, 95-140, 142-146
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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