Composition VII, By: Wassily Kandinsky (1913)

Composition VII is an oil on canvas painting by Wassily Kandinsky. This painting is 78.7 x 118.1”, and it was created in Moscow, Russia in 1913. It is currently held in The State Tretyakov Gallery in Russia. In this abstract piece, there are numerous colorful shapes covering the massive canvas. There are a variety of blues, yellows, reds, oranges, and whites scattered throughout this painting. These shapes can be described as layered and blocky. In addition to the shapes, near the center-left of the piece, there are various cris cross patterns, similar to tic-tac-toe marks, as well as other lines placed in front of shapes. The painting is overall very bright; however, there are different spots of darkness within the piece. However, these dark spots are not very easy to notice due to the immense amounts of color surrounding it. Near the bottom and right side there are two white areas. This is not a flat white; this white is blended nicely with blues and yellows. There is also a smaller white area similar to this in the upper left area of the painting. Similar to this white, there is a burnt orange colored area blended into the bottom right corner. These flowing, large white and orange areas on the canvas give a balance to the other complex shapes and lines. These areas make the painting more visually appealing to the eye, as well as easier to understand. This painting is very confusing to look at, however these seemingly random shapes have a harmonious aspect to them. The variety of shapes look to be dependent on each other’s placement, as they appear to branch off of one another.

Wassily Kandinsky was born in Russia in 1866. He is famously known as one of the first true abstract artists, as his creations were not referenced from something visible to the naked eye. Kandinsky used very vague and plain titles in his works in order to participate in expressionism; this was an expressionistic approach because this vague title did not give the viewer much information about the piece, forcing them to reflect on it and create an individual meaning for themselves. Although the title of the piece, Composition VII, is very vague, art historians have still reflected on it and its meaning. Kandinsky had a psychological condition called synesthesia, in which one’s auditory and visual senses link together, giving the person the ability to see color and shape through sound. As one of Kandinsky’s close friends was a composer, he had a close relationship with music. It is believed that the title of this piece relates to a musical composition and is inspired by what Kandinsky saw as he listened to the music. Though, when looking at the painting, it is believed that this is related to modern music rather than classical due to the randomness and complex placement of the shapes and lines. This would not be perceived as classical because classical has more structure and conclusion. Kandinsky planned for this painting with over 30 sketches in water color and oils, but the huge Composition VII was painted in only four days. Composition VII was created during the beginning of Kandinsky’s art career; there is a obvious difference between Kandinsky paintings from this beginning time period compared to works from his later life, as in the beginning of the 20th century they are looser, while closer to his death they are much more linear and structured. Kandinsky overall was a groundbreaking painter for the time period, helping society move to what art is today in modern times. (Composition VIII (1923))

I find this painting beautiful for many reasons. According to Immanuel Kant, beauty is classified by a stimulation of the senses, emotions, and intellect. This painting is extremely stimulating to the senses through its complexity and bold colors. I find this painting very eye catching and aesthetically pleasing. It has massive amounts of depth, and I love the perceived randomness of the shapes. Although these shapes appear to be random, I find it especially beautiful because there almost seems to be a pattern to the madness. It appears to have depth towards the center, as the darker and more brown colors seem to be on the outside. While looking at this painting, my emotions are stimulated through confusion. This painting can be very hard to look at for many due to its intensity. I find the intensity and confusion of this painting very symbolic of life because many times we never know what is going on or what will happen, but life it bold and beautiful. There are dark patches in the painting, but those spots are overcome with bright color. I also think that people’s various opinions of the art work gives a deeper, symbolic meaning as well. Many find this painting beautiful; however, there are a vast amount of people that disagree, as it is seen as too complex and random. I think that this wide variety of opinions is symbolic in the way that people look at life. Similar to the painting, life is confusing and many times we do not understand what is going on. This may incline people to reject it or dislike it; however, sometimes people are able to see the beauty within the confusion, and still enjoy everything that is happening. I find this aspect especially beautiful. This painting is a massive stimulation of intellect because it makes one think about its meaning. It is not something that can be viewed for a second and immediately understood. I highly respect for Kandinsky and other abstract painters because in my opinion it is so much harder to convey an emotion and response through a piece that is essentially nothing, compared to common art with a focal point and a subject. This piece is a favorite of mine, as well as a variety of Kandinsky’s other works.