Circle Art for Sale

The Motion of the Spheres: Circles in Art

The circle is one of the most venerable forms in the history of art. In painting, crafts, music, sculpture, and architecture, the circle has stood in for wholeness and perfection of form.

In Western art, the provenance of the circle as artistic form is associated with ancient Greek thought. Plato, in particular, believed the world to have been created in circular form, incarnating a vision of perfection and completeness, both as a static object and in circular motion. In the Neo-Platonic legacy of late antiquity, the world - and the soul - as incarnating a secret, sacred geometry became a commonplace view.

Medieval churches were some of the most prominent inheritors of this legacy. Churches feature symbolism of divine perfection, as well as concentric hierarchies which describe the divine governance and order of the world. Still today, medieval Cathedrals, as well as modern churches built in medievalist style, often feature circles worked into their facades, or circular windows containing stained glass windows.

Renaissance artists made use of circular works, popular in the religious symbolism of architecture and iconography, in the elaboration of new formats. With the "tondo", in particular, artists incorporated circular artworks into architectural designs, including as portraits in the interiors of churches.

Across the world, the circle has proven to be a universal icon in artistic creation. In Indian and Chinese painting, circles have been used to represent schematic organizations of the cosmos, heaven and earth, the body, and the social order.

In modern art, the circle has enjoyed a varied history. Perhaps most famously, Russian artist Wasilly Kandinsky found in circles the key to his investigations of natural forms. His famous painting Circles in a Circle, composed within the framework of his search for truth and order hidden in the world of shapes, lines, and colors, is a flagship work of geometric art. Other artists of the Russian avant garde, like Kazimir Malevich and El Lissitzky, also portrayed circular shapes, as incarnating primal forms, and conveying special truths to observers.

In general, abstract art above all has featured the circle, consistent with its origins in the thought of pioneers like Kandinsky. In modern design, the Bauhaus and minimalist art, despite their common association with precise lines and square, industrial formats, are both highly concerned with round design as embodying simple and natural forms.

Modern architecture has seen a major shift in how circular forms are deployed. Once intended primarily for buildings meant for spectatorship, like stadia, the circle became a staple of architectural design in the hands of luminaries like Frand Lloyd Wright. The architect Louis Kahn, in particular, incorporated elements of the Platonic circle into his work, including in strong and bold designs with circular windows and archways. Contemporary architects like Zaha Hadid deploy round shapes to create atmospheres of fluidity, movement, and harmony. In airports and office buildings, form meets function in round architecture. In the former, interior urban spaces are created in buildings meant to accommodate aircraft. In the latter, circular architecture is often seen as a statement on new working cultures, in which groups work in circles, and circulation is encouraged.

Decorating with Circles

Incorporating artwork featuring circles into your home decor? Here are a few tips and considerations:

Circle-shaped artworks are well-featured high up on open wall spaces

Round shapes convey principles of circularity and constant movement

Circular motifs can be dynamic without being frenetic

Circle-shaped artworks are well-featured high up on open wall spaces

Urban art with round motifs reminds of traditional uses of circular forms in art