Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) (1912)

Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky, a Russian painter and art theorist, is widely regarded as one of the founders of abstract art. Born in Moscow in 1866, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa, where he completed his studies at the Grekov Odessa Art School. Although he was passionate about art from an early age, he initially pursued law and economics at the University of Moscow.

Kandinsky achieved notable success as a lawyer, even being offered a professorial position as the chair of Roman Law at the University of Dorpat, now located in Tartu, Estonia. Nevertheless, his dedication to art endured, and at 30, he chose to leave his secure legal career to devote himself to painting. He undertook formal training in life-drawing, sketching, and anatomy, signaling the start of his artistic journey.

His paintings stand out for their bold colors and geometric shapes, embodying his firm conviction in the expressive power of color and abstraction. Works like "Composition VII" and "Improvisation 28" departed from conventional portrayals of tangible objects, instead aiming to evoke emotion and spirituality through abstraction.

Beyond painting, Kandinsky made significant contributions to art theory. His seminal book, "Concerning the Spiritual in Art," delved into the relationship between visual art and music and advocated for abstraction’s expressive capabilities. Kandinsky’s pioneering methods greatly influenced not only his own art but also the development of modern art movements throughout the 20th century.