A 1922 drypoint and etching by Wassily Kandinsky, featuring a dynamic arrangement of geometric and organic forms from his Small Worlds portfolio.

Small Worlds XII is a drypoint and etching from the 1922 portfolio titled Kleine Welten (Small Worlds), published by the Propyläen Verlag in Berlin. During this period, Wassily Kandinsky was teaching at the Bauhaus, where his theoretical work on form and colour reached a high level of maturity. This print demonstrates his ability to translate complex abstract concepts into the precise, linear language of printmaking.

The composition features a collection of geometric and organic forms suspended in a white field. Kandinsky employs a variety of mark-making techniques, including cross-hatching, stippling, and sharp, directional lines, to create a sense of movement and spatial tension. The arrangement of shapes avoids a central anchor, encouraging the viewer to scan the image across its entirety. The interplay between the solid, dark lines and the lighter, etched textures provides a rhythmic quality that is characteristic of his graphic work from the early 1920s.

Kandinsky viewed the print medium as a way to explore the relationship between the artist and the viewer through a more controlled, technical process. By stripping away the distraction of colour, he forces an engagement with the structural integrity of the composition. The forms appear to float or collide, suggesting a micro-cosmic view of a larger, unseen system. This work reflects his ongoing investigation into the spiritual and psychological effects of non-representational art. The print is a clear example of his transition from the more fluid, intuitive styles of his earlier years toward the rigorous, geometric order that defined his later Bauhaus period. It remains a significant piece for those interested in the development of twentieth-century abstraction and the history of modern printmaking.