Composition VI
Painting on canvas • Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866–1944)
Style & Movement
Expressionism / Early Abstraction (Der Blaue Reiter group)
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas; employing techniques of gestural abstraction, layered glazing, and wet-on-wet application to create a sense of vibrating depth and synesthetic resonance
Creation Period
1913
Dimensions & Format
195 x 300 cm (approx. 76.8 x 118.1 in); Large-scale landscape format
Subject Description
A complex, non-objective composition originally inspired by the theme of the Deluge (Noah's Flood). The work features swirling vortexes of color, jagged black lines resembling lightning or rain, and amorphous shapes that dissolve traditional perspective into a spiritual and apocalyptic expressive landscape.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; well-preserved in a museum environment
Estimated Market Value
$100,000,000 - $150,000,000+ (Estimated as an invaluable museum masterpiece; Kandinsky's major 'Compositions' are world-renowned)
Auction Estimate
$80,000,000 - $120,000,000 (Hypothetical, based on record sales for peer-level modernist works)
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of the artist; currently held in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Art Historical Significance
One of the most important works in the history of Modern Art. It represents Kandinsky's successful transition into pure abstraction and his theory regarding the spiritual connection between color and sound (synesthesia). It is one of only ten major 'Compositions' he completed.
Notable Features
Distinguished by the 'vortex' at the center, the rhythmic repetition of diagonal lines, and the artist's meticulous process where he reportedly took six months to move past the 'Deluge' sketch to reach this final abstract form.
Condition Issues
Minimal aging consistent with early 20th-century oil on canvas; slight stable craquelure and minor surface dust common to museum displays.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strict climate controls (50% RH, 20°C). UV-filtered lighting at low lux levels to prevent pigment degradation. Periodic professional inspection for canvas tension.