Davos 1889 - 1943 Zürich

Composition in a circle

1937, Gouache and pencil on paper

34,6 x 25,5 cm

Sophie Taeuber-Arp (1889–1943) is regarded as one of the most important artists of the twentieth-century avant-garde and a pioneer of Concrete and Constructivist art. Her work engages in an innovative and intellectually ambitious dialogue with the ideas of international modernism, uniting apparent opposites such as Dada and geometric abstraction, painting and sculpture, as well as architecture and applied arts. Taeuber-Arp’s multifaceted artistic approach brought together fine art, design, and architecture with their practical application in everyday life.
Her remarkably versatile career as a painter, sculptor, architect, performer, choreographer, teacher, stage designer, and textile artist came to a tragically early end in 1943, when she died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Her husband, the artist Hans Arp, was profoundly affected by her loss. Only in more recent decades has Taeuber-Arp’s significance received the full international recognition it deserves, most notably through the major retrospective presented in 2021 in Basel, London, and New York.
Our 1937 gouache is closely related to a coloured pencil drawing as well as to the monochrome white wooden relief “Relief en bois” (Schmidt/Weber 1936/10), created in the same year. This relief has been included in nearly every major exhibition dedicated to Taeuber-Arp, from its first presentation at the Kunsthalle Basel in 1937 to the landmark retrospective of 2021 at the Kunstmuseum Basel, Tate Modern in London, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The carefully balanced composition of the gouache exemplifies Taeuber-Arp’s artistic vision. Positioned slightly above the centre of the image, a circular form becomes the focal point of the composition. The circle functions both as a boundary and as a frame for a vibrant internal arrangement of forms and colours. Within it, subsidiary shapes serve as carriers of differentiated colour fields. Green, red, white, yellow, light grey, and grey interact dynamically with the warm brown tone of the paper. The black outline further intensifies the framing effect of the circle while simultaneously heightening the luminosity of the colours within.
Whereas the outer form appears clear and disciplined, the internal shapes are softer, more organic, and rhythmic in character. Flowing, curved lines define the individual areas and lend the composition a subtle sense of movement. In places, the underlying pencil sketch remains visible and is deliberately incorporated into the pictorial effect. Likewise, the untreated paper surface in the upper quarter is consciously preserved as an active compositional element.
Taeuber-Arp allows the curved colour fields to interact in a gentle rhythm, almost as if engaged in a dance-like movement. This dynamic quality reflects her close connection to modern expressive dance, particularly through the Laban School and her association with the dancer Mary Wigman.
Through the interplay of constructive rigor and playful movement, of dark pictorial space and luminous colour, “Composition dans un cercle” achieves a compelling balance between tension and harmony. The work reveals Taeuber-Arp’s pursuit of elemental form and timeless clarity, unfolding a remarkable elegance and poetic force through its very reduction.