It's black. It's a square. It's a bit crackly after ageing.
Malevich described this work as an exploration into 'zero of form' - by not painting objects recognisable in the real world, it's free of logic and reason. All that's left is pure feeling - what he considered the truth.
When first exhibited, Malevich hung his square in the top corner of the room, a space traditionally reserved for religious icons in Russian homes. His square functions as a portal to a supreme realm of consciousness. Black Square is thought by many to be the most important painting of the twentieth century.
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