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Kandinsky: A Retrospective
A survey of over 100 works spanning Kandinsky’s full career, from his formative period in Munich to his final years in Paris
This spectacular five-decade survey of paintings, drawings, and prints by Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) includes more than 100 works drawn primarily from the outstanding collections of the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Milwaukee Art Museum. The comprehensive catalogue traces the artist’s development from his formative period in Munich, with his co-founding of the Blue Rider group and pivotal turn toward abstraction, to his return to Russia during the First World War, to his prolific work at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany, and his last years in Paris. New scholarship illuminates murals Kandinsky designed in 1922, contextualizing this project at the transition from his Russian period to his time at the Bauhaus, where he taught mural painting and plunged fully into abstraction. Close examination of the works of art, Kandinsky’s rich body of theoretical texts, and their pedagogical significance provides the foundation for essays on the celebrated artist’s promotion of abstraction and on the reception of his work in the 21st century. Today his artistic and theoretical output continues to inspire students, scholars, and artists. Short texts on key works of art and timelines generously enhanced by archival photographs augment the catalogue.
Distributed for the Centre Pompidou, Paris, and the Milwaukee Art Museum
Exhibition Milwaukee Art Museum
(06/05/14–09/01/14) Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville
(09/26/14–01/04/15)
This spectacular five-decade survey of paintings, drawings, and prints by Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) includes more than 100 works drawn primarily from the outstanding collections of the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Milwaukee Art Museum. The comprehensive catalogue traces the artist’s development from his formative period in Munich, with his co-founding of the Blue Rider group and pivotal turn toward abstraction, to his return to Russia during the First World War, to his prolific work at the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany, and his last years in Paris. New scholarship illuminates murals Kandinsky designed in 1922, contextualizing this project at the transition from his Russian period to his time at the Bauhaus, where he taught mural painting and plunged fully into abstraction. Close examination of the works of art, Kandinsky’s rich body of theoretical texts, and their pedagogical significance provides the foundation for essays on the celebrated artist’s promotion of abstraction and on the reception of his work in the 21st century. Today his artistic and theoretical output continues to inspire students, scholars, and artists. Short texts on key works of art and timelines generously enhanced by archival photographs augment the catalogue.
Distributed for the Centre Pompidou, Paris, and the Milwaukee Art Museum
Exhibition Milwaukee Art Museum
(06/05/14–09/01/14) Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville
(09/26/14–01/04/15)
- GenresArt
201 pages, Hardcover
First published July 8, 2014
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About the author
Angela Lampe
25 books1 followerAngela Lampe est conservateur au département des collections modernes du Musée national d'art moderne au Centre Pompidou, à Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 14, 2019
I quite like Kandinsky, but whenever I'm at an exhibit and especially like a piece it turns out to be by Munter.
That's just a comment, not a review.
There are many books on Kandinsky. This one is fine, as are many others.
That's just a comment, not a review.
There are many books on Kandinsky. This one is fine, as are many others.
March 14, 2019
I didn't read the text of this book but enjoyed looking at the images of his art, which I have always liked.
July 28, 2014
Another good, modern and beautiful exhibition catalog with detailed essays about Kandinsky as well as the hundred and thirty-five pieces.
Pairs well with Saving Kandinsky, good historical fiction that tells the story of Kandinsky through the eyes and heart of Gabriele Münter, who fell in love with him while she was an art student of his.
The Milwaukee Art Museum holds more paintings of Gabriele Münter than any other museum in North America. Many of her works hang in context in this exhibition, while others hang elsewhere at MAM.
Kandinsky: A Retrospective debuted June 5 at the Milwaukee Art Museum. http://mam.org/Kandinsky/ … Nashville's Center for the Visual Arts will host the exhibition from September to January. http://fristcenter.org/calendar-exhib...
Pairs well with Saving Kandinsky, good historical fiction that tells the story of Kandinsky through the eyes and heart of Gabriele Münter, who fell in love with him while she was an art student of his.
The Milwaukee Art Museum holds more paintings of Gabriele Münter than any other museum in North America. Many of her works hang in context in this exhibition, while others hang elsewhere at MAM.
Kandinsky: A Retrospective debuted June 5 at the Milwaukee Art Museum. http://mam.org/Kandinsky/ … Nashville's Center for the Visual Arts will host the exhibition from September to January. http://fristcenter.org/calendar-exhib...
November 10, 2014
This book documents an excellent exhibit and contains terrific reproductions. The essays, however, are uneven. Highly recommended if you'd like a great edition of Kandinsky reproductions; less recommended for the accompanying text. Not terrible by any means, but I've encountered better.
August 17, 2015
Text was a little...what's the word...dull, but it is a beautiful book with excellent reproductions.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews