Did you know that December 16, 1866 marks the birth of one of the most talented, influential artists of the expressionism movement?
Born into an upper-class family, Kandinsky’s formative years were spent enjoying all of the best cultural and educational pursuits that the world had to offer. He graduated from law school and started teaching in 1893. His painting career didn’t begin until 1896. At that time, he enrolled in art school. By the early 1900s, he was producing beautiful landscapes. He later branched out to include abstract forms and images that conveyed great vitality.
One of his famous abstract paintings of note was produced in 1913. Dubbed Improvisation 31 (Sea Battle), it features a swirling mass of colors that give the illusion of the ocean’s movement. Careening from side to side on those waves are the nonfigurative representations of two tall-masted, cannon-ball firing ships.
In the 1920s, Kandinsky’s paintings displayed images representative of musical scores, notes and instruments. A fine example of such is his 1923 work, The White Dot. Over the years, many art theorists have attributed the colors used in the painting to represent the stark distinctions between life and death. Whether or not that was Kandinsky’s original intention however, is up for debate. Other paintings with similar appeal include Jaune Rouge Bleu and Gelb, Rot, Blau.
Circles were another element frequently witnessed in Kandinsky’s body of work. They can be found in his early works like the Farbstudie Quadrante as well as paintings from his later years. Examples include the Weiches Hart, Komposition X, Im Blau and the Hommage a Grohmann.
The artist died in 1944 just a few days shy of his 78th birthday. At the time of his death, he was living in the western suburbs of Paris, France.
You can view our full collection of Kandinsky artwork at http://www.liebermans.net/showartist.aspx?id=26565.
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