Study for Improvisation V, 1910

Oil on pulp boardexpand_more

Gift of Bruce B. Daytonexpand_more  67.34.2

This landscape evokes Biblical stories of the Apocalypse, which foretold Christ's second coming. In the foreground, a woman in blue kneels before a tall figure with streaming golden hair, possibly Christ, while in the background two horsemen of the Apocalypse vault a fence.

As a pioneer of abstract painting, Vassily Kandinsky thought art could make inner truths visible. An "improvisation," he said, was "a largely unconscious, spontaneous expression of inner character," or "non-material (i.e., spiritual) nature." Kandinsky wanted painting to function like music, using colors and forms like melodies and rhythms—abstractly—to summon emotion.

Frame: Gift of Galerie Thomas, Munich, Germany.

Explore

Audio

Kandinsky, Study for Improvisation V (#391)
Details
Title
Study for Improvisation V
Artist Life
French, born Russia, 1866–1944
Role
Artist
Accession Number
67.34.2
Catalogue Raisonne
Roethel, 329.
Curator Approved

This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know

Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.