TheOldMastersPrintsBlack Square by Kazimir Malevich: meaning, location and key facts
Black Square (1915) is an oil on canvas by Kazimir Malevich, painted in 1915. It measures 79.5 × 79.5 cm and is held at the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
Key facts
| Artist | Kazimir Malevich |
|---|---|
| Date | 1915 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 79.5 × 79.5 cm (height × width) |
| Museum | Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow |
| Style | Suprematism |
| Data source | Wikidata (Q1170315) · Wikipedia |
What it shows
A black square on a white ground. Malevich presented it in 1915 at the “0.10” exhibition in Petrograd, hung high in the corner of the room, the place where Russian homes kept their religious icons.
It is the starting point of Suprematism, the “supremacy of pure feeling” in art, which gave up depicting objects. For Malevich it was not a void but the “zero of form”.
Did you know?
- In 2015 the Tretyakov Gallery found two earlier compositions beneath the black, and a pencil inscription alluding to a joke about a battle of black people in a dark cave.
- Malevich painted several versions; the 1915 one is the most cracked due to the ageing of the paint.
- It measures 79.5 × 79.5 cm.
Where to see the original
Black Square is at the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Works are sometimes lent to exhibitions or taken down for restoration, so it is worth checking the museum’s website before you go.
Which print size to choose
The print keeps the proportions of the original: if they differ from the paper, the painting is centred with a white border and never cropped. More details in our size guide.
| A4 (21 × 29.7 cm) | shelves, desks and gallery walls |
|---|
Prints are made to order in the Czech Republic and reach the EU in 3 to 8 days, with no customs. Canvases are made in the USA and take about 2 to 3 weeks, with EU VAT included in the price.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Black Square?
- The original is held at the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
- How big is Black Square?
- The original painting measures 79.5 × 79.5 cm (height × width).
- Who painted Black Square and when?
- It was painted by Kazimir Malevich in 1915.
- Can I hang a reproduction of Black Square at home?
- Yes. The work is in the public domain, so it can be freely reproduced. We offer it as a matte print in A4 (from €18.99) and as a ready-to-hang canvas (from €55.99), with free shipping to the EU.
Updated 21 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Message us through the shop and we will fix it.
