Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky was born in Russia in 1866. He first studied law before he became a painter. He loved music and bright colors. Kandinsky made art that did not look like real things. His paintings are shapes, lines, and colors. He is known as one of the fathers of abstract art.

Colors and Music

Kandinsky believed colors and shapes could sound like music. He thought red was loud and blue was calm. His paintings look like songs on canvas. He used circles, triangles, and swirls in bright colors. He wanted people to feel his art the way they feel music.

Changing Art Forever

Kandinsky taught at a famous art school in Germany called the Bauhaus. He wrote books about art and color. His ideas helped change what art could be. Before Kandinsky, most paintings showed real things. After him, many artists made abstract art too.

Fun Facts

• He thought he could 'hear' colors and 'see' music.
• He was 30 years old before he decided to become a painter.
• He painted one of the first purely abstract paintings ever.

Did You Know?

Kandinsky had a rare gift called synesthesia, which means his senses mixed together — he could see sounds as colors.