The Russian-born Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky came late to art. In 1896, at age 30, he gave up a legal career to take up painting inspired by Monet’s Haystacks. His first works such as Der Blaue Reiter shows Monet's influence on Kandinsky. Similar to the artists we considered earlier, Kandinsky's work increased in abstraction as he matured. Indeed, many credit Kandinsky with being the first abstract artist. In a change of pace, we will focus on Kandinsky's main contribution to modern art and spirituality:
While in Munich a prestigious group of likeminded artists was formed in 1911 in Munich, led by Kandinsky. Their name was “The Blue Rider” – “Der Blaue Reiter.” German expressionists such as Franz Marc and August Macke belonged to this amazing group where they shared similar interest in abstracted forms and colors. The actual name Der Blaue Reiter is German for The Blue Rider. It referenced key motifs found in Marc and Kandinsky’s work: the horse and rider or jockey. The horse and rider symbolized
significance in content and execution. This led to his decision in 1900 that “German art needed a different direction” (Norris) and he created Brücke in 1905. The Brücke group rejected “traditional ac... ... middle of paper ... ...tory of the Blaue Reiter group. Norris, George. “Expressionism: Its Spiritual and Social Voice.” VCCA Journal Electronic Edition. 1996. 16 November 2002 < http://www.br.cc.va.us/vcca/norris2.html>. - Article on the history and social implications of Expressionism
Russian, Blaue Reiter Almanac TXT: “Der Blaue Reiter was formed in 1911 in Munich as a loose association of painters led by Vasily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. They shared an interest in abstracted forms and prismatic colors, which, they felt, had spiritual values that could counteract the corruption and materialism of their age. The flattened perspective and reductive forms of woodcut helped put the artists, especially Kandinsky, on the path toward abstraction in their painting.” CLS: The Blaue Reiter
This work is directly inspired by Der Blaue Reiter Almanach. Primarily a work of prose, it consisted of plays, essays by leading artists and musicians detailing works of the era, and commentary on art, music, theater, and related subjects. The Brooklyn Rider Almanac is conceptually a modern
Nothing more was thought of the relation between art and spirituality until Kandinsky founded Der Blaue Reiter in the early 1900’s. While lacking a concrete manifesto, Der Blaue Reiter had several guiding principles which are outlined in Kandinsky’s Concerning the Spiritual which stressed the importance of form and color as they may signify something more. Kandinsky’s influences are clear
Modernism can be defined as the post-industrial revolutionary era, where which the western world began to see a change in all spheres of living. The effects of the industrial revolution became prevalent towards the end of the nineteenth century and the modernist movement drew inspiration from this widespread change. Artists, writers, architects, designers and musicians, all began to embrace the changing world and denounce their pre-taught doctrines and previous ways of producing work. Society felt
Franz Marc, The World Cow, 1913. Oil on canvas. 27 7/8 x 55 5/8 in (70.7 x 141.3 cm), horizontal orientation. Early on in life, Franz Marc (1880-1916), a devoted artist, discovered that his most esteemed subjects were animals, and he strove to great lengths to hone his skills for accurately rendering them on canvas. Then, in the early 20th century, an overly-materialist Germany was overcome with a back-to-nature movement that fascinated Marc and ultimately inspired many of his later pieces. Although
The Haus der Kunst, or House of Art, is an art museum located in Munich, Germany. The rich history of the museum and the city in which it lies is strongly tied to the Nazi party’s rise to power. The construction of the exhibits and the museum itself was strongly propelled by Hitler’s efforts and his opinions on art: on what to preserve and what to destroy. The museum and what it portrays has changed in many ways from the original vision Hitler held for it, survived through WWII, and still remains
Edvard Munch: Emotion as Art Since the 7th grade, I have been a huge fan of the famous French-inspired realist and expressionist, Edvard Munch. His work is so full of passion and pain as well as shock and sadness. By gazing into the gloriously deep world of emotion he created, art lovers both young and old are amazed and drawn in. Born on December 12, 1863 in Loton, Norway, Munch entered a family of five children. He grew up with his father serving in the Army as a doctor and his mother took
Many people became lost as a result of these changes in modern life. The painter saw the world as scene of despair. The German Expressionist movement was active from around 1905-1925. It was known as “Die Brücke” and “Der Blaue Reiter” in German. The French critic Roger de Piles defined expressionism as “the thought of the human heart”. It is about expressing the artist’s feelings toward surrounding world. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was an expressionist in the Die Brücke group
Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian artist who is most commonly associated with the art movement Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), so named because of their love of horses and beliefs that colors could affect real change on a person’s soul. These artists experimented often with color to see what effects they could affect in their viewers; however, there are only seven colors used in his woodblock print Two Riders in Front of Red. Yet, in a way only Kandinsky can seem to achieve, these colors have been
Although his career was cut short by his early death, Franz Marc had a tremendous impact on the various Expressionist movements that would evolve after World War II. After early experiments with naturalism and realism, Marc later eschewed those styles in favor of the greater symbolic potential of abstraction. Franz Marc was born in Munich, Germany on February 8, 1880. His father, Wilhelm Marc, was an amateur landscape painter. Under the influence of his artistic father, Marc's artistic talent was
Expressionism and Oceanic Art The presence of art as a cultural trait is common to both popular and folk culture. Expressionism, the idea of using simplified shapes and distortion of physical features, has considerably influenced modern art practices. Oceanic art is a widespread part of traditional South Pacific Islander culture, and also distorts human features. Expressionism and Oceanic art share many aspects of style, but differ greatly in aspects of origin, diffusion, and purpose. Expressionism
On December 16th, 1866, Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow, Russia to musical parents, where he was raised in a middle class family. At the age of 5 his parents divorced and he moved to Odessa with his aunt, where he was first introduced to the arts, and started to learn how to play the piano and chello while in grammar school, as well as studying how to draw with a private coach (biography 3). These learning periods in his life led to his upcoming artistic talents of drawing and writing that he
“I don 't paint things. I only paint the difference between things.” – Henri Matisse The use of line, form, and color placement on a canvas can dramatically impact the compositional setting of a painting. It will influence the way viewers interpret modern works of art. The modern abstract painting style from Wassily Kandinsky and Henri Matisse set in motion works of art that could be aesthetic without being representational. While comparing Study for Composition II and Le Bonheur de Vivre (The
QUESTION ONE As individualism continued to develop in society and culture, it also continued in the art that we have covered since the midterm exam. A later industrial revolution led to the era often called the “roaring 20s,” a period of extremes between wealth and poverty, growth and depression, new opportunities and stagnation. The development of capitalism and a creeping of commercial values in society led to an artistic hostility toward--and alienation from--a materialistic society. How artists
Living in a world without innovators and history would create boredom. With boredom we would not have the great designers and artists we are fortunate to have. Chanel being one of the greatest and most famous designers, she created the wearable jersey knit in her every day garments and Natalia Goncharova famous for her originality of Rayonism, a way of painting and expressing ones spiritual beliefs through vibrant colors. These two women have an outstanding place in history creating a more radical
York(N.Y.): Museum of Modern Art. No name. No date. Pigment through the ages, visible and beyond. [Online] Available at: www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/visible.html. (20 May 2011) Herbert, B. 1983. German expressionism:Die Brücke and Der Blaue Reiter. Jupiter Books. No name. No date. German Expressionist, the home of German Expressionist arts. [Online] Available at: http://www.germanexpressionist.com/. (20 May 2011)
Since my first encounter with Kandinsky's art I was amazed by their complexity and always wondered about the creative and intellectual mind, which was responsible for them. The few books I managed to find on Kandinsky were extremely useful as they outlined his entire career and had a substantial amount of illustrations. There were also a number of websites available on the Internet, which contained critiques from other art historians, critics and fellow artists from around the world. But there