Painting with Green Center

Painting with Green Center by Vasily Kandinsky Born Moscow (formerly Russian Empire, now Russia), 1866; died Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, 1944, is a foundational work of abstract expression, executed in oil on canvas in 1913. This period marked the apex of Kandinsky’s early non-objective style, following his seminal publication Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1911) and his involvement with the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) in Munich.

The dynamic composition immediately preceded the disruptions of World War I, capturing the spirit of intellectual and artistic revolution prevalent in Germany at the time. Kandinsky sought to liberate painting from the constraints of representation, establishing a visual language based purely on color and form, which he likened to musical composition. In this piece, the central green form acts as an anchoring presence, around which highly energetic, saturated fields of red, yellow, and blue clash and converge. The application of paint is rapid and assured, featuring fluid lines and sharp geometric interjections that suggest controlled chaos.

This painting is crucial to understanding the transition from representational art to pure abstraction in the early 20th century. Kandinsky believed that specific color combinations and forms could resonate internally with the viewer, creating a spiritual or emotional experience independent of descriptive subject matter. The powerful, almost explosive arrangement of forms in this piece demonstrates his commitment to painting as an autonomous, self-referential art form. This internationally significant piece is a highlight of the permanent collection at the Art Institute of Chicago, providing context for later movements. As a pivotal modernist work, high-quality prints and reproductions of the composition remain widely utilized in art education today.