White on White

paintings by Malevich

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July 15, 2026

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White on White is a seminal painting by Kazimir Malevich, a pioneering figure in abstract art and the founder of the Suprematist movement. Created around 1918, this work represents the culmination of Malevich's theories, which emphasized pure geometric abstraction and the supremacy of form and color over any representational subject matter.12

The painting features a white square subtly outlined against a white background, pushing the boundaries of abstraction to their extreme. Malevich aimed to express pure feeling and move beyond the visible world, stripping art down to its most essential elements. White on White exemplifies this pursuit of non-objective creation, where the form itself becomes the sole focus.12

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Suprematism
His experiments culminated in the White on White paintings of 1917–18, in which colour was eliminated, and the faintly outlined square barely emerged from its background. At a one-man exhibition of his work in 1919 (“Tenth State Exhibition: Non-objective Creation and Suprematism”), Malevich announced the end of the Suprematist movement.
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His experiments culminated in the White on White paintings of 1917–18, in which colour was eliminated, and the faintly outlined square barely emerged from its background. At a one-man exhibition of his work in 1919 (“Tenth State Exhibition: Non-objective Creation and Suprematism”), Malevich announced the end of the Suprematist movement.
Read More