From the early 1910s onwards, Kandinsky turned his back on the depiction of the world of external appearances, embarking instead on the creation of wholly-abstract canvases, like Painting with Three Spots, which led to his being hailed as the great pioneer of non-objective art. These works express Kandinsky’s desire to create a pictorial equivalent of music, using a style capable of arousing emotions which—far removed from external realities—would become the expression of the artist’s inner strength. Here, the three large oval spots at the centre of the composition, surrounded by swirling shapes and bright colours, stress the religious symbolism of the number three and draw us into Kandinsky’s personal universe of spiritual, mystical aspirations.

20th Century20th Century - European painting. Pioneers of abstractionPaintingOilcanvas
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