Page 24 - Studio International - January 1967

Above Gabriele Münter in Kochel 1902
Oil on canvas paper 12 7/8 x 9 3/8 in.
Left Ripped 1928
Gouache and ink on paper 19 x 121 in.

He spoke Russian whenever he could, went to the on the 'spirit', on 'soul' and 'life' have their parallels in
Orthodox church, read the great Russian authors, oriental philosophy.
listened to Russian music and always kept a group of The Russianness of Kandinsky cannot be overempha-
Russian icons hanging in his apartment. His first mar- sized. According to his autobiography it was a series of
riage, to a Russian, had ended in divorce, but after a long experiences in Russia, most of which could have happened
and fruitful relationship with Gabriele Münter, he nowhere else, which helped him towards the idea of non-
decided for the second time to marry a Russian. He figurative art. An ethnological expedition to the Volgoda
remained in constant touch with developments at home, district brought him into contact with natural and very
corresponding with artists and publishing letters and basic folk art.10 Travelling by train, boat and cart through
articles in Russian journals—in 1909 and 1910 he contri- deserts, rocky landscapes and forests, Kandinsky, who
buted a series of pieces to the art magazine Apollon, for was still a student at the time, felt that he was on a
example.? Interestingly enough it was the new interest in distant planet. The peasants wore their gay costumes as a
revolutionary Russia in the revised principles of art matter of course, and their houses and furniture were
education which first put Kandinsky into contact with covered with brilliant decorations and carvings to such
the Bauhaus, where he later taught.8 As Lindsay points an extent that the objects themselves seemed to disappear
out,9 Kandinsky's attitude toward his homeland was beneath them. He said that he had the impression of
extreme; there is even evidence to suppose that he courted walking around inside a work of art and stresses in his
the extreme position of Eurasianism, the belief that writings that this experience was important to his
Russia's true origins are to be found in Mongol Asia. formulation of non-figurative painting. Two other
Without placing too great an emphasis on racialist Russian artists, Gabo and David Burliuk, have said that
theories of art it can be said that Kandinsky's emphasis they were affected deeply by their experience of folk