Über das Geistige in der Kunst: Insbesondere in der Malerei (Concerning the Spiritual in Art: Especially in Painting)

Über das Geistige in der Kunst: Insbesondere in der Malerei (Concerning the Spiritual in Art: Especially in Painting), created by Vasily Kandinsky in 1911, is a foundational intellectual and artistic document of the Modernist era. Classified as an illustrated book, the volume incorporates a total of eleven original woodcuts, including the powerful graphic design utilized for the front cover.

Published in Munich, this comprehensive treatise outlines Kandinsky’s revolutionary theories regarding the function and future of painting. The artist meticulously argues that art must move away from objective representation and embrace abstraction to express the internal, or "spiritual necessity" (innere Notwendigkeit). The philosophical underpinnings laid out in this text established the intellectual framework for non-objective painting, positioning Kandinsky as a primary pioneer of pure abstraction.

The historical context of the 1911 period is crucial, as this text formalized the intellectual shifts occurring across European culture. Though Kandinsky was Russian, the book quickly gained traction within French modernist circles, demonstrating the interconnectedness of the early avant-garde. The medium of the illustrated book allowed Kandinsky to pair his abstract theories with practical visual demonstrations. The eleven included woodcuts serve not merely as illustrations, but as autonomous visual statements, showcasing early explorations into non-representational form and color that could later be developed into fine art prints.

Kandinsky’s insistence on the inherent spiritual resonance of color and form dramatically impacted subsequent generations of artists. This work provided the crucial theoretical scaffolding for artists seeking a new language of expression free from dependence on the material world. This essential text and its accompanying prints are held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, preserving their central place in the history of 20th-century art theory and practice.