Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI

Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI (in Dutch: Contra-compositie XVI) is a painting by the Dutch artist, Theo van Doesburg. It hangs in the Kunstmuseum Den Haag in Den Haag.

Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI
Contra-compositie van dissonanten XVI
Artist	Theo van Doesburg
Year	1925
Medium	oil paint, canvas
Dimensions	100 cm (39 in) × 180 cm (71 in)
Location	Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Accession No.	0332094
Identifiers	RKDimages ID: 215683

Title

Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI is the eleventh in a series of counter-compositions, which Van Doesburg started in 1924. It was originally called Counter-Composition of Dissonances XI. The current title derives from Van Doesburg's book Unique studies for Compositions, where all the preparatory studies of his counter compositions were listed, and this appeared as the sixteenth.

Date

Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI was painted sometime between 27 August and 30 November 1925. On 27 August Van Doesburg wrote to his friend César Domela Nieuwenhuis that he had just completed two paintings with diagonal lines (Counter-Composition of Dissonances VI and Counter-Composition of Dissonances XIII). On 30 November Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI formed part of the exhibition L'Art d'Aujourd'hui in Paris.

Provenance

In 1934, Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI was gifted to the Kunstmuseum (then called the Gemeentemuseum) by Van Doesburg's widow, Nelly van Doesburg.