LONDON.- Kandinsky is one of the art world’s greats. The richness of his life, work and ideology make him one of the leading figures of 20th century art. His most illustrious pieces were his angular abstract paintings, combining the power of colour and form to evoke the senses. This monograph delves deep into his body of work, going beyond is well-known pieces, to show us his influences from childhood right through to his last days in Paris.

Kandinsky believed in true abstraction and was inspired to create art that communicated a sense of spirituality. He was a founder member of Der Blaue Reiter and his theories influenced many of the major artistic movements of his times, including Dada, Bauhaus, De Stijl and Russian Constructivism. His friends such as Marcel Duchamp and Paul Klee were both inspirations to him and inspired by him.

This book presents an in-depth look into Kandinsky’s world. It is a chronological look at the evolution of his work, from his early years in Russia, to Munich where his love of abstract began, to Paris, where his work took a softer, more natural turn. Making use of an unprecedented wealth of documents from the artist’s own workshop, including autobiographical writings, correspondence and theoretical essays, this book sheds new light on his prolific creative imagination.

Kandinsky divided his work into three categories: impressions (observations of the exterior world), improvisations (expressions of inner feeling) and compositions (images on a grander scale that brought inner and outer visions together). His art is also marked by two intersecting axes: The first moving from figurative to the abstract, the second from the profane to the sacred.

With a wealth of beautiful illustrations throughout, this book uncovers the well of imagery that lies behind Kandinsky’s paintings, reveals his lesser-known and highly interesting work, and explores his passionate belief in the spiritual and harmonizing power of art.

Philippe Sers is a philosopher, art historian and publisher with a special interest in the work of Wassily Kandinsky. He has written many books and articles, and currently lectures in history and philosophy of art at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris.