top of page
La Victoire de Samothrace, Unknown, 190 BC

Kandinsky

1925

Listen to this guide

Kandinsky is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century - and a founder of abstract painting.

Born in Russia, he initially trained as a lawyer and economist - before turning to painting at the age of 30.

Kandinsky could not understand why artists should be figurative.

One day he was struck by one of Monet's paintings of haystacks.

He didn't know what they were - and yet found them beautiful.

He drew the parallel with music, arguing that musicians, unlike painters or sculptors, were not expected to imitate real-life.

Why couldn’t the same principles apply to painting?

Art did not have to be figurative to be beautiful.

Abstract art could be as powerful, if not more powerful, than figurative painting.

Yellow-Red-Blue draws inspiration from German writer Goethe's account of the birth of red.

In Goethe's account, Red emerges from the interplay between Yellow, representing Light, and Blue, symbolising Darkness.

While Kandinsky's works might appear random, the position of each colour was carefully chosen to resonate with the rest of the painting.

Kandinsky saw himself as a musician.

"Colour is the keyboard...the artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul".

Curious to learn more?

Follow up with the A.I :

WOA Icons 1080x1080 (12).png
La Joconde, de Vinci (1519)

Next:

Sylvia Von Harden

bottom of page