Composition VII, 1913
Wassily Kandinsky
Born in 1866 in Moscow, Russia
Painter, teacher, and art theorist
Died in 1944
WHAT IS AN ART THEORIST?
Wassily Kandinsky talked about art with many people. He organized groups of artists that
thought about art he way that he did . He wrote a book about art titled Concerning the
Spiritual in Art.
IN 1896 KANDINSKY WAS INSPRED
BY THE PAINTING “HAYSTACKS”
PAINTED BY CLAUDE MONET
Kandinsky thought that Monet had a very
powerful use of color.
What do you think?
What do these shapes look like to you?
Der Blaue Reiter or The Blue Rider
Artists inspired by the painting “The
Blue Rider” 1903, saw forms more as the
overlapping of colors and free from lines.
This group believed lines limited the
form.
Do you think that this painting looks
somewhat like the “Haystacks” by
Monet?
Why?
Wassily Kandinsky lived in
Russia where he studied law
and economics in college.
Kandinsky became a lawyer
and he was a very good lawyer.
But at age 30 he began
painting and decided to teach
art instead of law.
Here is one of his earlier
paintings from 1908 titled
“Munich-Schwabing with the
Church of St. Ursala”.
What colors do you see?
Do you think that the colors
have equal intensities?
Wassily Kandinsky’s parents were both
musicians.
Kandinsky was greatly influenced by music.
“Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the
soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand
that plays, touching one key or another, to cause
vibrations in the soul”
-Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky
First Abstract Watercolor, 1910
This was Kandinsky’s first attempt at painting music.
What does abstract mean?
Composition IV, 1911
Kandinsky uses titles for his work like compositions, impressions and
improvisations. What types of terms are these?
In 1921 Kandinsky moved to
Germany and taught art at the
Bauhaus an innovative school
of art and design. Many great
artists learned and taught at
the Bauhaus.
In 1926, while teaching and
living in Germany, Kandinsky
wrote his second major book
talking about his theories of
art. The book was titled Point
and Line to Plane.
This painting, On White, was
painted in 1923.
What shapes do you see?
Count how many shapes you
see.
Why do you think that this
painting is titled On White?
Moscow
x
Walla Walla
x
Kandinsky felt that the circle was the most peaceful shape and
represented the human soul.
Wassily Kandinsky
Is credited with painting the first modern abstract works of art!
Music, like abstract art, tries to express the inner feelings of the human soul.
What does it mean to express?
Why do you think Kandinsky is called an expressionist?
WASSILY KANDINSKY
What do these shapes look like to you?
Kandinsky didn’t particularly like black. Black to him meant the end of
something.
This is one of Kandinsky’s last paintings. Why do you think he used black?
What did you learn about Wassily Kandinsky?
“Everything starts from
a dot.”
-Wassily Kandinsky