Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Ohne Titel
The Geometry of Nature.
1923 was a pivot point in modern art history. Having left revolutionary Russia, Kandinsky accepted Walter Gropius’s invitation to join the Bauhaus—the epicenter of the new aesthetic order.
Ohne Titel was created during his first full year there. It serves as a visual bridge between his romantic, pre-war landscapes of Murnau and the strict Constructivist logic he was developing. Here, Kandinsky encodes the organic world into pure syntax: zigzag lines act as mountain ranges, blue planes as lakes, and floating ovals as trees.
Why it matters: This is not just a drawing; it is a pedagogical instrument. It captures the exact moment Kandinsky refined his theory of form and color into a teachable method. A rare, transitional work on paper from the dawn of the Bauhaus golden age.
Details:
Watercolor, pen and India ink on paper.
49.8 x 68.5 cm (19 ⅞ x 27 in).
Signed with monogram and dated lower left: 23.
Market Context:
Auction: Christie’s, New York.
Date: 17 Nov 2025.
Estimate: $1,200,000