Astounding Magazine: April 2021

Monday, April 26, 2021

Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky (1866-1944), was a Russian painter widely credited as the pioneer of abstract art. He felt that art should have no recognizable objects or forms, but rather should destroy reality in order to arrive at the underlying truth of existence. He called his spiritual desire for art “inner necessity”. Kandinsky studied law and economics at the University of Moscow, and was offered a professorship at the University of Dorpat, but he abandoned his career in 1896 at the age of 30, and went to Munich to study art. But before leaving Moscow, he saw an exhibit of paintings by Monet. It had a profound effect on him, and may have influenced his later venture into abstract art.

In 1896 Kandinsky settled in Munich, studying art at the Academy of Fine Arts. But he returned to Moscow in 1914. After the Russian Revolution he seemed to have been involved with Russian Marxist revolutionary Anotoly Lunacharsky, becoming an insider in the cultural administration. However because “his spiritual outlook was different to the argumentative materialism of Soviet society” he returned to Germany in 1920. There he taught art at the Bauhaus School until Hitler closed it down in 1933. He then moved to France producing some of his most prominent work until his death a few days before his 78th birthday.

Wassily Kandinsky was an early champion of abstract painting and believed that abstract art could be used to express the “inner life” of the artist. His favorite color was blue, and he believed that the circle was the most peaceful shape and represents the human soul.

Rembrandt

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606-1669), was a Dutch master of painting and etching. Rembrandt is one of the world's great artists, yet he died in poverty and obscurity. He is most admired for the warmth and humanity of his work. Every human being he painted was portrayed sympathetically. To him, beggars and captains of the guard were equally important. Rembrandt's use of dramatic light areas contrasted to irregular dark spaces was unusual. What he thought important he painted so that light focused on it. Minor details that might be distracting, he left darkened as in shadow.

Rembrandt's main interest was people. Many critics consider his masterpiece to be "The Night Watch" (1642). Rembrandt also did many self-portraits and Biblical landscape studies. Rembrandt was born in Leyden, the son of a prosperous miller. His father entered him in the Academy of Leyden for classical education, but the boy was determined to paint. At about the age of 12 he studied under a dutch artist and, at perhaps 17, began work as a portrait painter.

Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam in 1631 to work as a painter and teacher. In 1634 he was married to wealthy Saskia van Uijlenburgh, whose portrait he painted many times. They took a large house, and Rembrandt started a costly art collection. He was extravagant but his own work was popular, enabling them to live well. In 1642 Saskia died. Rembrandt one of the most productive artists of all time continued to work hard, but he seemed to lose spirit. His art became unfashionable. In 1656 he was bankrupt; his home and art collection were sold to pay creditors. In 1660 he began work in the art shop opened by his housekeeper, Hendrickje Stoffels, and his son Titus. The forlorn Rembrandt became a virtual recluse. After Titus died in 1668 he suffered even greater poverty.