Kandinsky’s Composition IV: A 1911 Masterpiece
Composition IV by Wassily Kandinsky
Artwork Details
The title of this painting is Composition IV. The author, Wassily Kandinsky, created it in 1911. The style is abstract art. The theme of this panel is a battle, possibly between knights in a fairy-tale landscape. It has also been interpreted as a struggle between pictorial elements: yellow against blue, and straight lines against curved lines.
Technical Aspects
Supporting elements: The artwork is on fabric, using the oil painting technique. This technique involves using vegetable oil as a binder for colors, allowing for smooth transitions and blending, easier than other painting methods.
- Form: It is difficult to define as openly or closed.
- Composition: Achieved through the balance of lines and colors. The elements appear to float in an asymmetrical space.
- Compositional Geometry: The work consists of vague shapes and lines, forming an abstract whole. There is no clear compositional geometry.
- Perspective: The three-dimensional space is represented on a flat plane.
- Lines: Expressiveness is conveyed through the vibration of lines, suggesting the artist’s emotional outpouring. The left side is dominated by lines, while the right side emphasizes color. A central focus is created by two parallel lines aligned with a blue box. Lines are straight, curved, and diagonal, delimiting fields of color.
- Light: There is no defined light source.
- Chromaticism: Various colors are present, with blue, yellow, green, and red being prominent. Warm and cold colors are balanced. The brushstroke is marked in many sectors; there are defined elements of both line and color.
- Rhythm: Movement is implied through chromatic contrasts and curved lines.
- Proportions or Canon: There is no adherence to a specific canon or proportion.
Influences and Meaning
Antecedents and Influences: Kandinsky was influenced by traditional Russian art, Russian fairy tales, Cubism, Fauvism, and Neo-Impressionism. He moved away from representing reality. His work influenced many non-figurative artists, both before and after World War II, particularly the Abstract Expressionists of the New York School (e.g., Kline, Pollock).
Meaning: In 1913, Kandinsky stated that he did not intend for his paintings to have a narrative nature. The artwork represents a conflict between abstract elements: the striking yellow and blue, the curve and the angle. It is a battle between opposites in search of harmony (line vs. curve, warm vs. cold).
Function and Context
Function: In 1911, Kandinsky, along with Franz Marc, founded The Blue Rider expressionist movement. The group aimed to emancipate artwork from its role of representing physical reality. Artists sought a pictorial language that would allow viewers to communicate directly with the painting. For Kandinsky, the artwork should be independent and connect the artist with the viewer, exploring new forms of artistic expression and expanding the aesthetics of art.
Background: This work was created during the era of “-isms” in the early 20th century. In 1911, avant-garde art movements like Fauvism, Expressionism, Futurism, Cubism, and the Russian avant-garde were flourishing. This period was marked by intense intellectual and artistic debate. Traditional worldviews were being questioned.
Conclusion
This work is entirely abstract. Kandinsky recounted discovering a painting by Monet, initially not understanding its subject matter until consulting the catalog. This experience solidified his pursuit of pure abstraction.