Couple on Horseback by Wassily Kandinsky (Interpretation and Analysis)

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Couple on Horseback
Source: wassilykandinsky.net
Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky is best known as the father of abstract art. While that is not quite true (many cultures practiced abstraction for thousands of years before Kandinsky began working; and, in Europe, Hilma af Klint was the first painter to explore abstract art), Kandinsky is certainly a pioneer of modern art. Today, he is famous for his bright, colorful abstract compositions full of geometric shapes. In fact, the name Kandinsky is almost synonymous with modern art.

However, when he created Couple on Horseback, Kandinsky was only beginning his exploration of abstraction. The painting depicts a young couple riding on horseback amongst the trees. A wide river and a traditional, Russian cityscape dominates the background. The piece is picked out in multi-colored dabs of paint; alone, these drops of paint are abstract and meaningless, yet, together they make a coherent picture. It is reminiscent of the pointillist style developed by French artists Georges Seurat and Paul Signac, yet it is also unique. These bright spots of paint contrast with black borders, creating an effect that is visually fascinating.

It is a novel and inventive approach to painting, influenced by Russian culture and style as well as by Kandinsky’s own ideas about art. He uses these blobs of color to explore light and color, a stepping stone on his journey to abstraction. 

At the end of the day, however, Couple on Horseback is a beautiful piece of art, brilliant, magical, and rich in glowing colors.

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