The Riding Couple

Wassily Kandinsky

(December 16, 1866-December 13, 1944)

Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian painter and art theorist. He is a well-known 20th century artist who painted the first modern abstract works. Kandinsky was born in Moscow and spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow and studied law and economics. It was not until 1896, at the age of 30, that Kandinsky gave up a promising career teaching law and economics to enroll at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany. He emerged as an art theorist in addition to being a painter. He painted many landscapes and towns using bold bright color. The Riding Couple depicts and man and woman on horseback as they ride past a Russian town. The work shows the influence of pointillism. The influence of music was important to Kandinsky in developing the birth of abstract art. While the Nazi’s were occupying Germany in 1933, Kandinsky moved to Paris. In Paris he lived in a small apartment and created his works in the living room. He painted forms and geometric shapes seemingly floating in his paintings. He stayed in France for the remainder of his life until he died in 1944.