Der Blaue Reiter: that which rests in the mysterious center of thought
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Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian painter, naturalized French, considered one of the precursors and founders of abstract painting. Born in Moscow in 1866, Kandinsky had a significant impact on 20th century art. His legacy continues to influence contemporary art and his work is celebrated around the world, with many of his works exhibited in international museums and galleries. His passion for art led him to give up his legal career to study painting in Munich. Kandinsky, known for his theory of art that explores the relationship between color and form and their emotional impact on viewers, wrote important texts on art, including “The Spiritual in Art” and “Point, Line, Surface “, who have influenced generations of artists. His style has evolved over time, moving from figurative works to completely abstract compositions. His works are characterized by bold use of color and geometric shapes that seek to express emotion and spirituality. Kandinsky also taught at the Bauhaus, a famous school of design and architecture in Germany, until it was closed by the Nazis in 1933. After that he moved to Paris, where he lived until his death in 1944.
Wassily Kandinsky‘s transition to abstract art was inspired by a number of historical, aesthetic, and personal factors. One of his main sources of inspiration was music. The painter, in fact, was fascinated by the way in which music could evoke emotions. This idea led him to explore how colors and shapes could have a similar impact. Rather than what is visible to the eye, Kandinsky was interested in creating art that expressed “that which rests in the mysterious center of thought.” The influence of Gauguin, Cézanne and Matisse, artists who entrusted color with the task of expressing emotions, contributed to the evolution of his style towards abstractionism. The interaction with the expressionists and the idea of art as an individual expression, rather than as a manifestation of truth, had an important role in Kandinsky’s artistic maturation. In fact, his paintings began to lose any concept of spatiality and depth, while the colors and the rhythm with which he spread the colors on the canvas became predominant.
Born in Munich in 1880, Franz Marc was a German expressionist painter who had a strong impact on 20th century painting. He enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, but during his travels to Paris he was influenced by Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh. Marc spent many hours studying the behavior of animals, for him the source of the spirituality and innocence that the man had lost. His works often depict animals in a modern, abstract style. In 1911, he and Wassily Kandinsky founded “Der Blaue Reiter“, an artistic group that aimed to express the spiritual nature of things, going beyond the representation of the objective world. Marc developed his ideas on color theory, symbolism and abstraction through discussions with Kandinsky. Shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, Marc experimented with a more abstract style in his paintings, but his journey into creativity came to a halt with his death near Verdun in 1916.
At the Lenbachhaus in Munich, Germany, a large collection of works relating to an artistic movement that left a significant imprint on the history of 20th century art is on display. “Der Blaue Reiter“, literally “The blue knight“, was a group of artists formed in Munich and active until the outbreak of the First World War. That name originated from Wassily Kandinsky‘s passion for the color blue which he considered as the color of spirituality, and from Franz Marc‘s love for horses. The group, centered around those two artists, was characterized from the beginning in a cosmopolitan and interdisciplinary sense. In contrast to the corruption and materialism of their era, with abstract forms and prismatic colors they explored the spiritual values of art. These artists, believing in the promotion of modern art and the relationship between visual art and music, became interested in medieval European art, primitivism and abstraction.
Wasilij Kandinsky and Franz Marc were the pillars of the “Der Blaue Reiter” movement. Paul Klee, the Swiss artist interested in medieval European art, primitivism and abstraction, joined the group shortly after its founding; His work ranged from spiritual themes to geometric shapes and bright colors. August Macke, interested in contemporary and non-figurative art, was another important member of the group; his work often explored everyday life, nature and spirituality. The Russian artist Alexej von Jawlensky joined the group together with his wife Marianne von Werefkin. Both were interested in Russian folklore and the decorative influences of the Jugendstijl, and moved towards abstraction after encountering Cubist ideas. These artists, along with others, helped create a movement that sought to express spiritual truths through art, promoting modern art and experimenting with color, form, and abstraction.
“Jugendstijl“, the German equivalent of “Art Nouveau“, developed as a reaction against neoclassicism. The term Jugendstijl derives from the name of an art magazine that contributed to spreading the new artistic language, especially in the field of graphics and applied arts. Among the important figures of this movement were the Swiss graphic artist Hermann Obrist, Otto Eckmann and the Belgian architect and decorator Henry van de Velde. The Jugendstijl expressed itself in illustrations and graphic arts, combining floral decorations and sinuous curves with more geometric lines. In summary, this movement sought to innovate art and design, emphasizing beauty and functionality in applied art and profoundly influencing modern design and craftsmanship.
