Wassily Kandinsky — "Black Lines" (Schwarze Linien)
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Exhibition Poster, Summer 1972 | Framed Offset Lithograph
Printed in England by Lund Humphries | Designed by Malcolm Grear Designers

A superb original exhibition poster from the landmark Summer 1972 Kandinsky retrospective at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York — one of the most celebrated museum exhibitions of the decade and a defining moment in the presentation of abstract art to American audiences. The poster reproduces Black Lines (Schwarze Linien), 1913, a masterwork from the Guggenheim's own permanent collection and one of Kandinsky's earliest and most important purely non-objective paintings.

As the Guggenheim has written of the source work: "With its undulating colored ovals traversed by animated brushstrokes, Black Lines is among the first of Kandinsky's truly nonobjective paintings. The network of thin, agitated lines indicates a graphic, two-dimensional sensibility, while the floating, vibrantly hued forms suggest various spatial depths."

Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) is universally recognized as one of the founders of abstract art. Born in Moscow and trained in law before devoting himself to painting, he developed a revolutionary visual language rooted in his belief that color and form could convey spiritual and emotional experience without recourse to representation. He was a central figure at the Bauhaus, a co-founder of the Blaue Reiter movement, and his theoretical writings — most notably Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1911) — transformed how artists and critics understood the possibilities of painting. His works in the Guggenheim collection remain among the museum's most beloved holdings.

Printed on heavy stock paper by Lund Humphries of England — the premier fine art printer of the era — and designed by the acclaimed Boston firm Malcolm Grear Designers, this poster was produced as part of the official exhibition materials and is now out of print. The 1972 date is significant: it marks the 50th anniversary year of the Guggenheim's founding collection. Original exhibition posters in this condition and with original frames are increasingly scarce.

Details:

• Artist: Wassily Kandinsky (Russian/French, 1866–1944)
• Image: Black Lines (Schwarze Linien), 1913
• Publisher: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
• Year: 1972 (Summer Exhibition)
• Medium: Offset lithograph on paper
• Printer: Lund Humphries, England
• Designer: Malcolm Grear Designers
• Dimensions (framed): 28 in. W × 21 in. H
• Condition: Vintage — please review all photos carefully

A genuine piece of mid-century art world history — the original 1972 Guggenheim Kandinsky exhibition poster, still in its vintage frame, ready to display.