Painter
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian-born painter, teacher, and theorist who became a major pioneer of abstract art and explored how color, line, shape, and rhythm could convey emotion without relying on recognizable subjects.
Wassily Kandinsky quick facts
A concise reference for his life, work, and painting approach.
| Born | 1866 · Moscow, Russian Empire |
|---|---|
| Died | 1944 · Neuilly-sur-Seine, France |
| Nationality | Russian-born; later French |
| Associated movements | Expressionism, Der Blaue Reiter, Bauhaus, and abstraction |
| Paint media | Oil paint · Watercolor · Gouache |
| Other media | Ink, drawing, woodcut, lithography, and drypoint |
| Common subjects | Early landscapes and folklore, followed by increasingly abstract arrangements of color, geometry, line, and biomorphic form |
| Notable works | Picture with an Archer, Composition VII, the Campbell Panels, and White – Soft and Hard |
Sources: The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA: Picture with an Archer, MoMA: White – Soft and Hard, and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum: Watercolors by Kandinsky.