Life and achievements
Early life
Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow in 1866 into a family of educators and nobility. His father was a tea merchant, and his mother had German and Baltic blood in her. Kandinsky's childhood and teenage years were spent in Odessa, a great commercial and cultural center of that time, with a mixture of people of different nationalities and a rich art environment. This diverse culture in his upbringing and his parents' support of the arts contributed to his later interest in the arts.
Kandinsky was born into a family that valued art and music, and he was a child who was very sensitive to sounds, words, and colors; his father encouraged this by giving him private drawing and music lessons. Kandinsky was not a child who grew up with art; however, he decided to become an artist later in his life after attending the University of Moscow to study law. His legal education did not suppress his interest in color and its psychological effect, an interest that was enhanced during his ethnographic expedition in Vologda in 1889. This trip, which exposed him to the region's folk art, greatly influenced his future work.
Kandinsky graduated from the University of Moscow in 1892 and soon started teaching there. However, he wanted to do something creative and switched to the arts despite his achievements in the academic sphere. This led him to give up on law, and in 1896, he decided to devote himself to art and moved to Munich. His early education was with Anton Ažbe, and then he went to the Academy of Fine Arts for further education. While in Munich, Kandinsky became associated with other like-minded avant-garde artists and formed a group called Phalanx that aimed to break the art world's conventional norms.
One of the most critical persons in Kandinsky's life and his student at Phalanx was Gabriele Münter. Together, they roamed Europe and North Africa, enriching Kandinsky's artistic experience and perception of various art styles. These experiences played a significant role in Kandinsky's early works, as he shifted from realistic paintings to abstract ones.
Legacy
Thus, Wassily Kandinsky's work has a vast impact, and it inspired several art movements and artists of the modern age. His contribution to abstract art paved the way for future artists, especially those of Abstract Expressionism and Color Field Painting. Kandinsky's ideas about the emotional and spiritual possibilities of color and shape influenced other artists, such as Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.
Kandinsky's theoretical works, especially 'Concerning the Spiritual in Art' and 'Point and Line to Plane,' offered a theoretical background explaining abstract art's importance. His ideas regarding color, form, and emotion related to art are still taught and discussed today, proving his theories are still valuable.
Kandinsky was always sure that art is the language that can speak the essence of life and convey the meaning of existence. His method of composing, which he compared to music, showed his confidence in the synesthetic possibilities of visual art.
Kandinsky's contribution was not only in his works of art and writing but also as a professor. He taught at the Bauhaus School of Design and Art, during which time he helped define the course of future art and design studies. His focus on geometric abstraction and the relationship between art and technology paved the way for the Bauhaus movement and influenced modern design.
Apart from the above, Kandinsky's influence is also seen in the various exhibitions and collections of his works of art. Organizations such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum have continued to protect and publicize Kandinsky's works since he was an artist who painted many pieces. Thus, Kandinsky's art remains thought-provoking, bringing people face-to-face with creation's spiritual and emotional aspects.
The works that Wassily Kandinsky left behind clearly illustrate his belief that art is an instrument of change. Kandinsky's unique abstraction style, theoretical contributions, and his role as an educator have made him one of the most distinguished artists of his time. Hence, his art is still appreciated and analyzed even today.
Milestone moments
Dec 21, 1896
Kandinsky Enrols in Art School in Munich
In 1896, Wassily Kandinsky had a chance to turn his life around and start over as an artist; he decided to leave the law and move to Munich in December.
He first attended the private school of Anton Ažbe, then continued at the Academy of Fine Arts.
This was the first step towards his entry into the world of art, which he would later transform into the world of abstract painting.
This period was a turning point for Kandinsky because he was introduced to the avant-garde and like-minded artists.
The art scene in Munich was quite wealthy at the time, allowing Kandinsky to flourish and create his style.
He co-founded the Phalanx group, which opposed the conventional values of conventional art organizations and paved the way for his future developments in abstract art.
Kandinsky's time in Munich can be considered the beginning of his theoretical and artistic activity.
The artist's interest in color, form, and their effects on people's emotions was born during this period, thanks to his exposure to Impressionism and other modernist styles.
This began Kandinsky's career, which saw him start the principles he would use in abstract art.
Dec 21, 1903
Painting "Der Blaue Reiter"
Kandinsky painted the "Der Blaue Reiter" in December 1903, one of his most famous works. This work defined a new chapter in his artistic journey.
This painting depicted a single horseman galloping over a field with boulders, marking the artist's transition to the new stage of his work and his focus on the meaning and expression of color.
" Der Blaue Reiter" was not only a painting; it is also the eponymous member of the famous Blue Rider group, which Kandinsky established with Franz Marc.
The group contributed to the development of modern art and the search for the spiritual and the symbolic in art.
This work is one of the best examples of Kandinsky's conviction in the spiritualism of art, which paved the way for his subsequent non-representational paintings.
The formation of 'Der Blaue Reiter' also depicted Kandinsky's shift from objective art to one that focused on color and shape to convey mood and spirit.
This milestone marked his increasing focus on the abstract and his wish to produce art that could stir up the essence of human existence.
Dec 21, 1911
Formation of the Der Blaue Reiter Group.
In December 1911, Kandinsky and Franz Marc formed the Der Blaue Reiter, or The Blue Rider.
This group was a rather loose association of artists who had come together to establish a modern art society and investigate the metaphysical and iconography in art.
The group was formed in reaction to the omission of one of Kandinsky's works from the annual Neue Künstlervereinigung München (NKVM) show.
The group known as Der Blaue Reiter was an important movement in the history of modern art. The group released the Blue Rider Almanac and held several exhibitions that displayed its modernism.
Their work was more concerned with the affective and spiritual properties of color and shape, central tenets of Kandinsky's aesthetics.
This milestone proved Kandinsky was one of the pioneers of the modern art movement. It demonstrated his efforts to break free from conventional art practices and create a new form of art that conveyed a new form of expression.
Der Blaue Reiter was one of the most influential movements of the early twentieth century. It furthered the cause of abstract art and inspired many artists who followed.
Feb 21, 1917
Marriage to Nina Andreevskaya.
The most crucial event in Wassily Kandinsky's life occurred in February 1917 when he married Nina Andreevskaya.
She was a source of emotional support to Kandinsky and gave him stability, which is reflected in his later works.
This marriage was significant for Kandinsky, who had returned to Russia after the October Revolution and many political changes.
Kandinsky and Nina had their fair share of marriage struggles, including the political upheavals of post-revolutionary Russia and the couple's migration to Germany.
However, Nina never gave up and continued to be an excellent friend to Kandinsky and help him with his painting.
She is felt in his later paintings' more tender and personal themes and motifs.
This milestone focused on Kandinsky's private life, stressing Nina's role in his life and artistic development.
Their relationship was a perfect example of the interconnection between the private and the public sphere that was typical of Kandinsky's life.