Five of Kandinsky’s Best Paintings
Great works by the master of abstract painting
Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow in the winter of 1866. His painting career would begin later in life: his decision to become an artist came at the age of 30 after he’d originally studied Law and Economics, and trained as a lawyer.
And yet this was no overnight transformation. Kandinsky’s artistic sentiment had been stirring for many years. He grew up listening to Russian and German fairy tales that kindled his imagination, and even as a child was acutely aware of his heightened sensitivity to colour. The textures and shades of the Moscow cityscape — Saint Basil’s Cathedral on Red Square perhaps the most prominent among them — left an enduring impression on his young mind.
His deep interest in colour principles was enhanced by other experiences including, watching a performance of Wagner’s Lohengrin at the Moscow Royal Theatre, where he spontaneously visualised colour along with the music. The experience was “shattering” as he later wrote: “I saw all the colours in my mind’s eye. Wild lines verging on the insane formed drawings before my very eyes.”
With his mind made up to become an artist, Kandinsky moved from Russia to Munich to attend art school. The year was 1896 and Munich was a vibrant hub of artistic creativity.
