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Composition VII by Wassily Kandinsky 1913 (200kb); Oil on canvas; Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow |
Although Kandinksy’s painting may not be the product of inspiration from one specific musical piece, music still inspired him. Almost all of his paintings are titled with musical terms such as composition or harmony. Kandinsky used color the way musicians wrote notes; he wanted them to sing.
“I applied streaks and blobs of colors onto the canvas with a palette knife, and I made them sing with all the intensity I could...” (qtd. in Genn).
Kandinsky often referenced musical terminology in his explanation of abstract painting.
“Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, and the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul” (qtd. in Genn).
In order to speak about the spiritual essence of his paintings, Kandinsky had to use the language of music. It appears that he felt the musical language could translate his meaning better than the language of typical visual art. Kandinsky painted his Composition VII in the midst of WWI. What emotions do you feel as a result of the specific colors and the forms? If you were a musician and were to write a piece inspired by this artwork, what would it sound like?
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