Vasily Kandinsky, Etching II, a drypoint

Germany, AD 1913-14

Between 1903 and 1909 Kandinsky simultaneously moved towards abstraction, and used colour in his paintings to express his theories of the psychology of colour. He founded a second artistic society in 1909 through which he met the artist Franz Marc, with whom he established Der Blaue Reiter ('The Blue Rider') in 1911. This was a loose association of artists who sought 'freedom of expression'. They came together to exhibit and to produce an 'Almanac' whose only edition appeared in May 1912, combinig text with printed illustrations.

Following the publication of his treatise, Klange ('Sounds') in 1913, Kandinsky produced fewer woodcuts, but he made an impressive series of six drypoints in 1913-14; this print is the second in the series. Kandinsky often translated compositions executed in one medium into another, and the drypoint series is similar to his abstract paintings of that time.

In 1916 Kandinsky returned to Russia where he was to play a key role in the post-Revolutionary cultural reorganization as a teacher, administrator and museum curator. Back in Germany in 1922 he joined Paul Klee at the Bauhaus to develop the basic design course, in addition to directing the course in mural design. Following the closure of the Bauhaus in 1933 he moved to Paris, where he became a French citizen and died.

H.K. Roethel and J.K. Bentham, Kandinsky (Oxford, Phaidon, 1979)

K. Lindsay and P. Vergo (eds.), Kandinsky: complete writings o (London, Faber, 1982)

F. Carey and A. Griffiths, The print in Germany 1880-1933, exh. cat. (London, The British Museum Press, 1984)