V.V. Kandinskii. Tekst khudozhnika (V.V. Kandinsky: The Artist's Text)

V.V. Kandinskii. Tekst khudozhnika (V.V. Kandinsky: The Artist's Text) is a significant illustrated book produced by Vasily Kandinsky in 1918. Serving as both a comprehensive text and an early monograph, this work provided critical insight into the artist’s developing theories on abstraction and non-objective painting. The physical composition is defined by its media: an illustrated book featuring twenty-eight photographic reproductions taken after paintings, augmented by three line block reproductions, one of which was used prominently for the front cover.

Produced during a tumultuous period, this publication exemplifies Kandinsky's determination to establish a theoretical framework for his revolutionary visual language. The year 1918 was pivotal, marking a high point in the proliferation of avant-garde concepts across Europe. The dissemination of these concepts was aided greatly by the book’s use of high-quality prints and reproductions, ensuring that his visual ideas could accompany his written philosophical arguments. Classified under French culture, this piece underscores the international resonance of Kandinsky’s abstraction, influencing artists and critics well beyond Russia and Germany.

The text is valued not only as an art object but as a primary source for understanding the theoretical underpinnings of abstract art. The inclusion of numerous reproductions meant that the visual evidence of Kandinsky’s progress was made available to a wider audience, solidifying his position as a pioneer of the movement. Owing to its historical importance, many of the images featured in V.V. Kandinskii. Tekst khudozhnika have subsequently entered the public domain, allowing these pioneering modernist prints to be viewed and studied globally. This essential work of art historical documentation is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.