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Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky Quotes

Artist

Wassily Kandinsky, born on December 16, 1866, and died on December 13, 1944, was a prominent artist from Russia. He is considered one of the pioneers of abstract art and his works have had a profound impact on 20th-century art.

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Famous Wassily Kandinsky Quotes

“Color directly influences the soul. Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another purposively, to cause vibrations in the soul.”

Soul Artist Music Color Aesthetics

Book:Concerning the spiritual in art

Source: Concerning the spiritual in art

“In the hierarchy of colors, green represents the social middle class, self-satisfied, immovable, narrow.”

Self Social Class Middle Color Green Satisfied Middle Class Hierarchy

Book:Concerning the Spiritual in Art: And Painting in Particular

Source: Concerning the Spiritual in Art: And Painting in Particular

“In their pursuit of the same supreme end, Matisse and Picasso stand side by side, Matisse representing color and Picasso form.”

Ends Form Sides Color Masters Pursuit Supreme Representing Matisse

Book:Concerning the spiritual in art

Source: Concerning the spiritual in art

“When I was thirteen or fourteen I bought a paintbox with oil paints from money slowly saved up. The feeling I had at the time - or better - the experience of color coming slowly out of the tube - is with me to this day.”

Feelings Color Paint Oil Saved This Day Tubes Fourteen Thirteen

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“A world of colors on the palette remaining... wandering... on canvases still emerging.”

World Stills Color Wander Emerging Palette

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“In general, therefore, color is a means of exerting a direct influence upon the soul. Color is the keyboard. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano with its many strings. The artist is the hand that purposefully sets the soul vibrating by means of this or that key.”

Mean Soul Hands Eye Artist Influence Color Keys Direct Piano Strings Hammers Keyboards

Book:Kandinsky, Complete Writings on Art

Source: Kandinsky, Complete Writings on Art

“Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul.”

Source: Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912

“Colors produce a spiritual vibration, the impression they create is important only as a step towards this vibration.”

Important Spiritual Steps Produce Color Impression Vibrations

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“Color is a means to exert a direct influence on the soul.”

Mean Soul Influence Color Direct

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“Color provokes a psychic vibration. Color hides a power still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body.”

Humans Stills Real Body Color Provoking Psychics Human Body Vibrations

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“I applied streaks and blobs of colors onto the canvas with a palette knife, and I made them sing with all the intensity I could.”

Made Color Intensity Knives Canvas Streaks Palette

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“Color transmits and translates emotion.”

Emotion Color Translate Transmit

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“Color cannot stand alone.”

Color Stand Alone

Book:Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912

Source: Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912

“Black is like the silence of the body after death, the close of life.”

Body Black Silence Color After Death

Book:Kandinsky compositions

Source: Kandinsky compositions

“The sensations of colors on the palette can be spiritual experiences.”

Spiritual Color Sensations Palette Spiritual Experience

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“Whether the psychological effect of color is direct...or whether it is the outcome of association, is open to question. The soul being one with the body, it may well be possible that a psychological tremor generates corresponding one through association.”

Wells May Soul Body Effects Color Direct Psychological Outcomes Association Corresponding

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“Of all the arts, abstract painting is the most difficult. It demands that you know how to draw well, that you have a heightened sensitivity for composition and for colors, and that you be a true poet. This last is essential.”

Knows Wells Art Lasts Difficult Know How Color Painting Poet Demand Essentials Draws Abstract Composition Sensitivity Abstract Painting

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“A parallel between color and music can only be relative – just as a violin can give warm shades of tone, so yellow has shades, which can be expressed by various instruments.”

Giving Color Instruments Various Warm Tone Shade Relative Yellow Parallels Violin

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“The sound of colors is so definite that it would be hard to find anyone who would express bright yellow with bass notes or dark lake with treble.”

Hard Would Be Sound Dark Color Notes Lakes Yellow Definite Bass

Book:Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912

Source: Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912

“Generally speaking, color directly influences the soul.”

Soul Influence Color

Book:Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912

Source: Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912

“Color is the keyboard. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano, with its many strings.”

Soul Eye Color Piano Strings Hammers Keyboards

Author:Wassily Kandinsky

“It is essential that the painter should develop not only his eyes, but also his soul, so that it too may be capable of weighing colors in balance.”

Should May Soul Eye Color Balance Essentials Capable Painter His Eyes Weighing

Book:Kandinsky, Complete Writings on Art

Source: Kandinsky, Complete Writings on Art

“Absolute green is the most restful color, lacking any undertone of joy, grief, or passion. On exhausted men this restfulness has a beneficial effect, but after a time it becomes tedious.”

Men Joy Passion Grief Effects Color Absolutes Green Lacking Exhausted Beneficial Tedious Restful

Book:Concerning the Spiritual in Art: And Painting in Particular

Source: Concerning the Spiritual in Art: And Painting in Particular

“Each color lives by its mysterious life.”

Color Mysterious Live By Mysterious Life

Book:Wassily Kandinsky Artworks

Source: Wassily Kandinsky Artworks

About the Author

Born: December 16, 1866
Died: December 13, 1944
Known for: Artist
Quotes: 99

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Art Color Soul Artist Eye Spirit Spiritual Art Is Form World Painting Children Effects Objects Works Of Art Canvas Creating Art Inspiring Abstract Age

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Books & Sources

Concerning the spiritual in artRelated source material

Concerning the Spiritual in Art: And Painting in ParticularRelated source material

Kandinsky, Complete Writings on ArtRelated source material

Concerning the spiritual in art, and painting in particular: 1912Related source material

KandinskyRelated source material

Delphi Collected Works of Wassily Kandinsky (Illustrated)Related source material

Kandinsky Watercolours: Exhibition May 23-June 28, 1970, Art Gallery of OntarioRelated source material

Kandinsky compositionsRelated source material

Kandinsky, Complete Writings on Art: 1922-1943Related source material

Kandinsky, Russia and the Bauhaus, 1912-1932: January 5-Febr Uary 11, 1984Related source material

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