Wassily Kandinsky once said, “Color is a means of exerting direct influence on the soul.” It’s safe to say that this artist took his art seriously. For Kandinsky, painting wasn’t just a creative expression. Creating was a spiritual experience.
Kandinsky prints carry with them an emotional depth. This makes them truly unique works of art. Let’s dive into a bit of Wassily Kandinsky’s history. We’ll find out where he got his inspiration for these timeless masterpieces.
Kandinsky as a Child: Escaping Reality Through Art
Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow, and spent his earliest years with creative, musical parents. Lidia Ticheeva and Vasily Silvestrovich Kandinsky were tea merchants. They influenced Kandinsky’s love of art until they divorced when he was 5 years old. At that young age, he moved to live with his aunt in Odessa. Fortunately, she continued his musical education. He learned to play piano and cello while he was still young.
Also while living with his aunt, Wassily started dawing with an art coach, and fell in love with the art immediately. Even his childhood drawings reveal the meticulous choice of color. He wrote later that drawing, as well as the medium of painting that he picked up later in life, lifted him out of the harsh, difficult reality he was in.
Putting Art on Hold
Though art was his passion, Kandinsky followed the wishes of his family and went to study law at the University of Moscow. He graduated at the top of his class, with honors, and soon received a position at the Moscow Faculty of Law.
Though law was his profession, Kandinsky couldn’t stay away from art entirely. As a hobby, he managed a small art-printing business, hoping that someday he would be able to dive back into art full time.
The Long Awaited Return
In 1896, after four long years at the Faculty of Law, Kandinsky attended an art exhibition of the French Impressionists in Moscow. The experienced moved him, specifically a viewing of Monet’s Haystacks, which was the first time he had taken in nonrepresentational art.
It was enough. Kandinsky abandoned his law career and moved to Munich to study art full-time.
The Father of Pure Abstraction
During his fruitful career as an artist, Kandinsky established himself as one of the pioneers of abstract modern art. He understood the relationship between color and form well enough to combine the two in evocative partnerships on canvas. He believed that there was something profound about abstraction, and wanted the world to experience it.
Along with his drawing and painting, Kandinsky also continued to study and revere music. He always viewed music as the most transcendent form of art, with the belief that music spoke directly to the soul.
Kandinsky’s vision and charisma, along with the ideals he valued, left a permanent mark in the world of art. We’re fortunate to continue to benefit from his beautiful works today.
