The artwork titled “The White Cross,” created by Kazimir Malevich around 1927, is an oil on canvas piece measuring 88 by 68 centimeters. It is a notable example of the Suprematism art movement and is distinguished by its abstract style. Presently, the artwork is housed within the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In its essence, the painting exhibits a large white cross centrally placed on an off-white background, with the canvas itself contributing to the overall composition through subtle variations in hue and texture. The artwork conveys a stark simplicity and is emblematic of Malevich’s pursuit to transcend the material world through the pure feeling conveyed by simple geometric forms. The cross in the composition, devoid of associated religious content, stands as a Suprematist symbol, free from traditional pictorial references, rendering complex philosophical notions of infinity and transcendence through the reduction to basic shapes and colors. Malevich’s work here is a profound reflection on the significance of form and color in and of themselves, which was a revolutionary approach for the time in which it was created.
