Vasily (Wassily) Kandinsky (1866-1944) was a Russian painter, teacher, and art theorist who was one of the first artists to explore nonrepresentational art and, in 1910, created the first totally abstract work in modern art, a watercolor entitled Composition I or Abstraction . He is known as the originator of abstract art and the father of abstract expressionism.
As a child in an upper class family in Moscow, Kandinsky displayed a gift for the arts and music, and was given private lessons in drawing, cello, and piano. However he ended up pursuing the study of law and economics at the University of Moscow and lectured there before devoting himself fully to art at the age of thirty when he enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. which he attended from 1896-1900.
Theorist and Teacher Painting was a spiritual activity for Kandinsky. In 1912 he published the book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art. He believed that art should not be merely representational but should strive to express spirituality and the depth of human emotion through abstraction, much like music does. He created a series of ten paintings titled Composition that allude to the relationship between painting and music.
In his book, Concerning the Spiritual in Art , Kandinsky writes, “Color directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposively, to cause vibrations in the soul.”
Stages of Artistic Development Kandinsky’s early paintings were representational and naturalistic, but his work changed after being exposed to the Post-Impressionists and Fauves in 1909 after a trip to Paris. They became more colorful and less representational, leading to his first totally abstract piece, Composition I , a colorful painting destroyed during World War II, known now only through a black and white photograph.
In 1911 Kandinsky formed, along with Franz Marc and other German expressionists, The Blue Rider group. During this time he created both abstract and figurative works, using organic, curvilinear shapes and curvy lines. Although the work of the artists in the group was different from one another, they all believed in the spirituality of art and the symbolic connection between sound and color. The group disbanded in 1914 due to World War I but had a profound influence on German Expressionism. It was during this period, in 1912, that Kandinsky wrote Concerning the Spiritual in Art .
Following World War I, Kandinsky’s paintings became more geometric. He started used circles, straight lines, measured arcs, and other geometric shapes to create his art. The paintings are not static, though, for the forms do not sit on a flat plane, but seem to recede and advance in boundless space.
Kandinsky thought that a painting should have the same emotional impact on the viewer as does a piece of music. In his abstract work Kandinsky invented a language of abstract form to replace the forms of nature. He used color, shape, and line to evoke feeling and resonate with the human soul.
Following are examples of Kandinsky’s paintings in chronological sequence.
Sources Kandinsky Gallery , Guggenheim Museum, https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/kandinsky-gallery
Kandinsky: The Path to Abstraction , The Tate, http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/kandinsky-path-abstraction
Wassily Kandinsky: Russian Painter, The Art Story, http://www.theartstory.org/artist-kandinsky-wassily.htm#influences_header
A Motley Life (Das Bunte Leben), 1907
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). A Motley Life (Das Bunte Leben), 1907. Tempera on canvas. 51 1/8 x 63 15/16 in. (130 x 162.5 cm). Bayerische Landesbank, on permanent loan to the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
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The Blue Mountain (Der blaue Berg), 1908-09
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Improvisation 3, 1909
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Photo: Adam Rzepka, courtesy Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris, diffusion RMN
Sketch for Composition II (Skizze für Komposition II), 1909-10
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Impression III (Concert) (Impression III [Konzert]), January 1911
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Impression III (Concert) (Impression III [Konzert]), January 1911. Oil and tempera on canvas. 30 1/2 x 39 5/16 in. (77.5 x 100 cm). Gabriele Münter-Stiftung, 1957. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
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Photo: Courtesy Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
Impression V (Park), March 1911
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Impression V (Park), March 1911. Oil on canvas. 41 11/16 x 62 in. (106 x 157.5 cm). Gift of Nina Kandinsky, 1976. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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Photo: Bertrand Prévost, courtesy Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris, diffusion RMN
Improvisation 19, 1911
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Improvisation 19, 1911. Oil on canvas. 47 3/16 x 55 11/16 in. (120 x 141.5 cm). Gabriele Münter-Stiftung, 1957. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
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Photo: Courtesy Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
Improvisation 21A, 1911
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Improvisation 21A, 1911. Oil and tempera on canvas. 37 3/4 x 41 5/16 in. (96 x 105 cm). Gabriele Münter-Stiftung, 1957. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
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Photo: Courtesy Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
Lyrically (Lyrisches), 1911
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Lyrically (Lyrisches), 1911. Oil on canvas. 37 x 39 5/16 in. (94 x 100 cm). Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum, Rotterdam.
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Picture with a Circle (Bild mit Kreis), 1911
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Picture with a Circle (Bild mit Kreis), 1911. Oil on canvas. 54 11/16 x 43 11/16 in. (139 x 111 cm). Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi.
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Improvisation 28 (second version) (Improvisation 28 [zweite Fassung]), 1912
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Improvisation 28 (second version) (Improvisation 28 [zweite Fassung]), 1912. Oil on canvas. 43 7/8 x 63 7/8 in. (111.4 x 162.1 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift 37.239.
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With the Black Arch (Mit dem Schwarzen Bogen), 1912
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). With the Black Arch (Mit dem Schwarzen Bogen), 1912. Oil on canvas. 74 3/8 x 77 15/16 in. (189 x 198 cm). Gift of Nina Kandinsky, 1976. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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Photo: Philippe Migeat, courtesy Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris, diffusion RMN
Painting with White Border (Moscow) (Bild mit weißem Rand [Moskau]), May 1913
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Painting with White Border (Moscow) (Bild mit weißem Rand [Moskau]), May 1913. Oil on canvas. 55 1/4 x 78 7/8 in. (140.3 x 200.3 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift 37.245.
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Small Pleasures (Kleine Freuden), June 1913
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Small Pleasures (Kleine Freuden), June 1913. Oil on canvas. 43 1/4 x 47 1/8 in. (109.8 x 119.7 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection 43.921. Solomon R. Guggenheim Collection, New York.
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Black Lines (Schwarze Striche), December 1913
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Black Lines (Schwarze Striche), December 1913. Oil on canvas. 51 x 51 5/8 in. (129.4 x 131.1 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift 37.241. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
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Sketch 2 for Composition VII (Entwurf 2 zu Komposition VII), 1913
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Sketch 2 for Composition VII (Entwurf 2 zu Komposition VII), 1913. Oil on canvas. 39 5/16 x 55 1/16 in. (100 x 140 cm). Gabriele Münter-Stiftung, 1957. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
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Photo: Courtesy Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich
Moscow I (Moskau I), 1916
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Moscow I (Moskau I), 1916. Oil on canvas. 20 1/4 x 19 7/16 in. (51.5 x 49.5 cm). The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
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In Gray (Im Grau), 1919
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). In Gray (Im Grau), 1919. Oil on canvas. 50 3/4 x 69 1/4 in. (129 x 176 cm). Bequest of Nina Kandinsky, 1981. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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Photo: Courtesy Centre Pompidou, Bibliothèque Kandinsky, Paris
Red Spot II (Roter Fleck II), 1921
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Red Spot II (Roter Fleck II), 1921. Oil on canvas. 53 15/16 x 71 1/4 in. (137 x 181 cm). Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
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Blue Segment (Blaues Segment), 1921
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Blue Segment (Blaues Segment), 1921. Oil on canvas. 47 1/2 x 55 1/8 in. (120.6 x 140.1 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection 49.1181. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
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Black Grid (Schwarzer Raster), 1922
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Black Grid (Schwarzer Raster), 1922. Oil on canvas. 37 3/4 x 41 11/16 in. (96 x 106 cm). Bequest of Nina Kandinsky, 1981. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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Photo: Gérard Blot, courtesy Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris, diffusion RMN
White Cross (Weißes Kreuz), January-June 1922
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). White Cross (Weißes Kreuz), January-June 1922. Oil on canvas. 39 9/16 x 43 1/2 in. (100.5 x 110.6 cm). Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice 76.2553.34. Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York.
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In the Black Square (Im schwarzen Viereck), June 1923
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). In the Black Square (Im schwarzen Viereck), June 1923. Oil on canvas. 38 3/8 x 36 5/8 in. (97.5 x 93 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift 37.254. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
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Composition VIII (Komposition VIII), July 1923
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Composition VIII (Komposition VIII), July 1923. Oil on canvas. 55 1/8 x 79 1/8 in. (140 x 201 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift 37.262. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
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Several Circles (Einige Kreise), January-February 1926
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Several Circles (Einige Kreise), January-February 1926. Oil on canvas. 55 1/4 x 55 3/8 in. (140.3 x 140.7 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection, By gift 41.283. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
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Succession, April 1935
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Succession, April 1935. Oil on canvas. 31 7/8 x 39 5/16 in. (81 x 100 cm). The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
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Movement I (Mouvement I), 1935
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Movement I (Mouvement I), 1935. Mixed media on canvas. 45 11/16 x 35 in. (116 x 89 cm). Bequest of Nina Kandinsky, 1981. The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.
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Dominant Curve (Courbe dominante), April 1936
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Dominant Curve (Courbe dominante), April 1936. Oil on canvas. 50 7/8 x 76 1/2 in. (129.4 x 194.2 cm). Solomon R. Guggenheim Founding Collection 45.989. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.
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Composition IX, 1936
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Composition IX, 1936. Oil on canvas. 44 5/8 x 76 3/4 in. (113.5 x 195 cm). Government purchase and attribution, 1939. Centre Pompidou, Musée national d'art moderne, Paris.
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Thirty (Trente), 1937
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Thirty (Trente), 1937. Oil on canvas. 31 7/8 x 39 5/16 in. (81 x 100 cm). Gift of Nina Kandinsky, 1976. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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Photo: Philippe Migeat, courtesy Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris, diffusion RMN
Grouping (Groupement), 1937
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Grouping (Groupement), 1937. Oil on canvas. 57 7/16 x 34 5/8 in. (146 x 88 cm). Moderna Museet, Stockholm.
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Various Parts (Parties diverses), February 1940
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Various Parts (Parties diverses), February 1940. Oil on canvas. 35 x 45 5/8 in. (89 x 116 cm). Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner-Stiftung, Munich. On deposit at the Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
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Photo: Courtesy Gabriele Münter and Johannes Eichner-Stiftung, Munich
Sky Blue (Bleu de ciel), March 1940
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Sky Blue (Bleu de ciel), March 1940. Oil on canvas. 39 5/16 x 28 3/4 in. (100 x 73 cm). Gift of Nina Kandinsky, 1976. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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Photo: Philippe Migeat, courtesy Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris, diffusion RMN
Reciprocal Accords (Accord Réciproque), 1942
Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944). Reciprocal Accords (Accord Réciproque), 1942. Oil and lacquer on canvas. 44 7/8 x 57 7/16 in. (114 x 146 cm). Gift of Nina Kandinsky, 1976. Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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Photo: Georges Meguerditchian, courtesy Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris, diffusion RMN
Irene Guggenheim, Vasily Kandinsky, Hilla Rebay, and Solomon R. Guggenheim
Dessau, Germany, July 1930 Irene Guggenheim, Vasily Kandinsky, Hilla Rebay, and Solomon R. Guggenheim, Dessau, Germany, July 1930. Hilla von Rebay Foundation Archive. M0007. Photo: Nina Kandinsky, courtesy Bibliothèque Kandinsky, Centre Pompidou, Paris.
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