In this weekly series, we’ll start with a recently added artwork, and pull together a selection of complementary pieces from our art library.

“There is music in the spacing of the spheres.” — Pythagoras

The fragment of sheet music in this charming geometric collage by Courtney Prahl caught my eye, reminding me of the enduring relationship between music and abstraction.

Below is a selection of three bold, lyrical abstract works from our art library by artists with an abiding interest in making ‘musical’ work. Each one, its own way, implies a sense of rhythm and melody through symbols and color.

Paul Klee was a trained violinist and hugely influenced by music in his work. I like to think these different blocks of colors represent notes or tones.

In Robert Delaunay’s Endless Rhythm (1934), the colors seem to dance to a steady beat.

Kandinsky was fascinated by how music could create such strong emotional reactions without having any recognizable subject matter. He wanted his art to provoke the same, deeply personal internal experience. In this piece, it’s as if an entire musical score has been distilled into one frame. The canvas tells the story of crescendos, melodies, and entire movements.