Farbkomposition mit Rund- und Ovalformen 1933

Adolf Hölzel made this pastel artwork, Farbkomposition mit Rund- und Ovalformen, with round and oval forms. The marks are playful, each colour seemingly dancing with its neighbours. You get the sense that Hölzel was really feeling his way through this composition, one mark at a time, enjoying the physicality of applying pigment to paper. Look at the way the different colours sit together. The background is a warm, sandy tone, against which the jewel-like colours of the ovals and circles really pop. There's a lovely variety of textures here too, from the soft, powdery feel of the pastels to the subtle variations in pressure and direction of the marks. Notice the small yellow dots that frame some of the larger forms - they seem to vibrate with energy, adding a sense of rhythm and movement to the whole composition. Thinking about art as an ongoing conversation, I see echoes of Kandinsky in Hölzel's explorations of abstraction and colour. But where Kandinsky's work can feel quite serious and intellectual, there's a lightness and a sense of joy to Hölzel’s pastel forms.