Tate Modern| Past Exhibitions | Kandinsky: The Path to Abstraction

Over the next few years, Kandinsky continued to produce landscapes inspired by the scenery of Murnau, but gradually moved away from observed reality towards a more abstracted vision. In Kochel – Straight Road (1909), for example, the sides of the houses, the mountains and the straight road running through the middle are transformed into triangles and pyramids. The colours, too, are simplified. In Painting with Houses (1909) Kandinsky distorts the landscape, tipping the row of houses towards us to create a flattened effect that evokes Bavarian folk art, or the condensed perspective of a child’s painting. He believed that unschooled artists and children had the power to give naïve, undisguised expression to the inner life of things.

During this period, Kandinsky was playing an important role in the artistic life of Munich. In 1909 he co-founded the New Artists’ Association and became its first chairman. After a highly critical response to his work, shown in the Association’s second exhibition in 1910, Kandinsky resigned, and, in 1911, mounted a rival exhibition with the German artist Franz Marc. It was to be the beginning of the highly influential Blue Rider group, which drew together artists from different areas of visual and folk art, music and theatre, united by a desire to express spiritual values in their work.

Room 2

Wassily Kandinsky
Landscape with Factory Chimney 1910
oil on canvas 662 x 820 mm
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York
Gift, Solomon R. Guggenheim, 1941

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Wassily Kandinsky
Boat Trip 1910
Kahnfahrt
oil on canvas 980 x 1050 mm
The State Tretyakov Gallery

Wassily Kandinsky
Study for Houses on a Hill 1909
oil on cardboard 330 x 450 mm
The State Russian Museum

Wassily Kandinsky
Improvisation 4 1909
oil on canvas 1080 x 1585 mm
State Art Museum Nizhny Novgorod

Wassily Kandinsky
Improvisation 9 1910
oil on canvas 1100 x 1100 mm
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart

Wassily Kandinsky
Painting with Houses 1909
oil on canvas 970 x 1310 mm
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam

Wassily Kandinsky
Improvisation 2 (Funeral March) 1908
oil on canvas 940 x 1300 mm
frame: 980 x 1340 x 40 mm
Moderna Museet, Stockholm

Wassily Kandinsky
Kochel - Straight Road 1909
oil on cardboard 330 x 448 mm
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich

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Wassily Kandinsky
Murnau - Mountain Landscape with Church 1910
oil on cardboard 327 x 448 mm
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich

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Wassily Kandinsky
Murnau - Castle Courtyard I 1908
oil on cardboard 330 x 443 mm
The State Tretyakov Gallery

Wassily Kandinsky
Murnau - Kohlgruberstrasse 1908
oil on board 710 x 975 mm
Private Collection, Switzerland


	About Visiting Information Book Tickets Events & Education Room Guide Shop Teachers' Pack Further Resources Room 2 Room plan Room 1 Room 2 Room 3 Room 4 Room 5 Room 6 Room 7 Room 8 Room 9 Over the next few years, Kandinsky continued to produce landscapes inspired by the scenery of Murnau, but gradually moved away from observed reality towards a more abstracted vision. In Kochel – Straight Road (1909), for example, the sides of the houses, the mountains and the straight road running through the middle are transformed into triangles and pyramids. The colours, too, are simplified. In Painting with Houses (1909) Kandinsky distorts the landscape, tipping the row of houses towards us to create a flattened effect that evokes Bavarian folk art, or the condensed perspective of a child’s painting. He believed that unschooled artists and children had the power to give naïve, undisguised expression to the inner life of things. During this period, Kandinsky was playing an important role in the artistic life of Munich. In 1909 he co-founded the New Artists’ Association and became its first chairman. After a highly critical response to his work, shown in the Association’s second exhibition in 1910, Kandinsky resigned, and, in 1911, mounted a rival exhibition with the German artist Franz Marc. It was to be the beginning of the highly influential Blue Rider group, which drew together artists from different areas of visual and folk art, music and theatre, united by a desire to express spiritual values in their work. Room 2 Wassily Kandinsky Landscape with Factory Chimney 1910 oil on canvas 662 x 820 mm Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York Gift, Solomon R. Guggenheim, 1941 enlarge Wassily Kandinsky Boat Trip 1910 Kahnfahrt oil on canvas 980 x 1050 mm The State Tretyakov Gallery Wassily Kandinsky Study for Houses on a Hill 1909 oil on cardboard 330 x 450 mm The State Russian Museum Wassily Kandinsky Improvisation 4 1909 oil on canvas 1080 x 1585 mm State Art Museum Nizhny Novgorod Wassily Kandinsky Improvisation 9 1910 oil on canvas 1100 x 1100 mm Staatsgalerie Stuttgart Wassily Kandinsky Painting with Houses 1909 oil on canvas 970 x 1310 mm Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam Wassily Kandinsky Improvisation 2 (Funeral March) 1908 oil on canvas 940 x 1300 mm frame: 980 x 1340 x 40 mm Moderna Museet, Stockholm Wassily Kandinsky Kochel - Straight Road 1909 oil on cardboard 330 x 448 mm Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich enlarge Wassily Kandinsky Murnau - Mountain Landscape with Church 1910 oil on cardboard 327 x 448 mm Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich enlarge Wassily Kandinsky Murnau - Castle Courtyard I 1908 oil on cardboard 330 x 443 mm The State Tretyakov Gallery Wassily Kandinsky Murnau - Kohlgruberstrasse 1908 oil on board 710 x 975 mm Private Collection, Switzerland next room back to top