Kocherova A.V. Compositional and Color Precursors of Abstract Art in Early Wassily Kandinsky's Painting 'The Blue Rider'

Abstract: The object of the research is an artwork by Wassily Kandinsky painted in 1903 (oil on cardboard 55,0 x 65,0 sm. Zurich, private collection). The subject of the research is the formula and color composition of the painting that illustrates the theory of color movement in space offered by Wassily Kandinsky. The author of the article gives an insight into such aspects of the theory as the relation between the compositin of picture elements and their color. Based on the analysis of The Blue Rider Kocherova demonstrates how the composition of color forms on the picture plane affects the way the picture is being perceived. Kocherova gives a relevant reference to graphic and pictural techniques described by Kandinsky in his theory. The purpose of this research is to define how undeveloped theoretical provisions of the color theory were already expressed in early paintings of the artist. The methodology of the research is mostly based on the philosophical and cultural analysis. This research is the only analysis of Wassily Kandinsky's The Blue Rider published in Russian. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author bases her analysis on the concept offered by the artist himself including his views on the role of color, dot, line, basic forms and plane in painting. The author pays a great attention to the role of color and what it symbolizes in painting. She defines the style of early Kandinsky's painting as 'color lyricism'. The research has allowed to discover that at the early stage of developing his creative style Kandinsky used the same forms, lines and colors that he would later describe in his theoretical research. For example, The Blue Rider has a so-called 'cold calm' composition because of prevailing horizontal axes and the combination of opposite colors, blue and yellow in the image of the main character. The plot is depicted as an illustration of a creative process. The artist's idea is to show the mission of an artist as a prophet who can foresee future changes and create new aesthetic values. To sum it up, the author of the article refers to The Blue Rider as the must-to-know painting that played an important role in Wasilly Kandinsky's creative life because it proved the main theoretical provisions of Kandinsky's theory and illustrated his personal attitude to the world and artist's mission. 

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