ON THE SPIRITUAL IN ART

BY WASSILY KANDINSKY

(

Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive

in 2011 witii funding from

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Library and Archives

http://www.archive.org/details/onspiritualinartOOkand

KANDINSKY

DAS GEISTIGE IN DER KUNST

X

DRITTB AUFLAQE

COVER REPRODUCTION OF ORIGINAL EDITION

WASSILY KANDINSKY 1866- 1944

WASSILY KANDINSKY ON THE SPIRITUAL IN ART FIRST COMPLETE ENGLISH TRANSLATION

WITH FOUR FULL COLOUR PAGE REPRO- DUCTIONS, WOODCUTS AND HALF TONES

PUBLISHED BY THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION. FOR THE MUSEUM OF NON-OBJECTIVE PAINTING. NEW YORK CITY. 1946. HILLA REBAY. EDITOR

DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ELIZABETH TICHEJEFF

COPYRIGHTED BY THE SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION. 1946

SECOND PRINTING

CONTENTS Page

Foreword to First Original Edition 6

Foreword to Second Original Edition 7

Foreword to the 1946 New York Edition of Wassily Kandinslcy's "On

the Spiritual in Art" 8

A—GENERAL

I Introduction 9

II The Movement 15

III The Spiritual Turning-point 21

IV The Pyramid 34

B—PAINTING

V The Effect of Colour 39

VI The Language of Form and Colour 44

VII Theory 79

VIII Art and Artists 91

CONCLUSION 94

Survey of Forty Years of Kandinslcy's Artistic Evolution 1 05

Public Comments 127

List of Full Page Illustrations 153

FOREWORD TO THE FIRST ORIGINAL EDITION

By Piper and Company Munich, 1911

The thoughts, which I am developing here are the result of observations

and spiritual experiences, which have been assembled gradually during

the last five, six years. My intention was, to write extensively on this sub-

ject, for which many experiments, in the realm of feeling, would have

been necessary. For the time being, due to other important work, I have

had to abandon my initial plan. Perhaps I shall never be able to realize

it, for someone else will do it better and more exhaustively, which is neces-

sary, while I am forced to content myself with a mere outline. My only

purpose is to draw attention to this great problem, and I shall consider

myself fortunate if this appeal should not be lost in the void.

FOREWORD TO THE SECOND ORIGINAL EDITION

This little book was written in the year 1910. Previous to the publication

of its first edition (January 1912), I added those further experiences

which had come my way in the meantime. Six months have passed since

then and my vision has grown ever freer, my horizons have widened. Yet

after serious thought, I have refrained from further enlargement on what

I had previously written because by doing so, only an incomplete growth

of certain parts would have been achieved. I have decided, instead, to

collect the new material, compiling sharp observations and experiences

so, that these component parts would form basic elements, as a kind of

"counterpoint of painting," which may some day, form the natural com-

plement to this book. Thus, the second edition, which had to follow

"Quickly after the first, has remained almost completely untouched.

My article "On the Question of Form," first published in the "Blaue

Relter" (Blue Rider), is one part of the further development.

Munich, April 1912. Kandinsky

FOREWORD TO THE 1946 NEW YORK EDITION

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation is publishing the first complete

English edition of "On the Spiritual in Art" by Kandinslcy. It was trans-

lated and checked by American, English, Russian and German scholars,

who have collaborated to achieve the best possible way of doing justice

to the original, and of preserving and conveying, in the most reverent

manner, the ideas and style of Kandinslcy.* A French edition is also

being published in Paris, indicating the growing interest and demand

for Kandinslcy's art and his epochal advent. To enrich this book further,

it was decided to enclose a short survey of Kandinsky's artistic work

since 1904 to 1944, when he died in France, to give an idea of his

evolution. There is also included a survey of comments made by the

public in the Museum of Non-objective Painting in 1945, which prove#

that the vision of Kandinsky has come true and that his art has found

many enthusiastic followers and co-workers.

* Finally the editor retranslated the entire book to clarify the correct artistic meaning.

8

I

INTRODUCTION

fEvery work of art Is a child of its time, while often it is the parent of our

emotions.

Thus, every cultural period creates art of its own, which can never be re-

peated again. An effort to revive art-principles of the past, at best, can only result in works of art resembling a still-born child. For example, it

is impossible for us to relive or feel the inner spirit of the ancient Greeks.

The sculptor's attempts to employ Greek principles can only achieve a

similarity in form, while the work itself remains for all time without a soul.

Such imitation resembles the antics of apes. Externally, the animal's

movements are almost like those of human beings. The monkey sits and

holds a book an inch from its nose, turns the pages, makes thoughtful

faces, but there is no sense or meaning in any of these actions.

INTRODUCTION

However, another exterior similarity in artistic form-principles springs

from a great need. The similarity of inner tendencies in the entire moral

and spiritual ^(tmosphere, the groping after objectives already followed

through, and subsequently forgotten, invokes the similarity of inner feel-

ing for an entire period; and leads logically to the application of such

forms which, in a former period, had successfully served identical efforts.

Thus, our sympathy, our understanding, our inner affinity to the Primitives

came partly Into existence.

Like ourselves, these pure artists sought to express Inner truths in their

work and, in consequence, automatically repudiated all consideration of

external accidents.

This glimmer of spiritual closeness is, in spite of its great importance,

no more than a spark. Our soul, after the long period of materialism, at

last begins to awaken from despair born of unbelief, lack of purpose

and ideals. This nightmare of materialism, which has turned the life of the

universe into an evil, useless game, has not yet past. The awakening soul,

while trying to free itself, is still under its domination. Only a feeble light

flickers, like a tiny star, in the vast encircling darkness. As a presentiment,

the soul does not as yet courageously admit its fear, that the light might

be a dream and the encircling darkness, reality. This doubt and still-linger-

ing oppression, through the materialistic philosophy, divides our soul from

that of the Primitives. Like a precious vase dug up, though cracked,

from the depths of the earth, our broken soul does not ring true. Thus,

any return to the Primitives, now experienced in the temporary assimila-

tion of form, can only be short-lived. The similarity between art forms

of the past and present can easily be seen, though diametrically opposed

to each other. The first is purely external and, therefore, without a future.

The second is spiritual, therefore, containing the seed of infinity. After

the period of materialistic temptation, to which the human soul ap-

parently succumbed and from whose evil attraction it finally has freed

itself, the soul emerges purified by trial and suffering. The elementary,

baser emotions such as fear, pleasure, sorrow, serving the contents of

10

INTRODUCTION

art during this period of temptation, will hardly attract the artist. He will endeavor to awaken more subtle, undefined emotions, as he himself

lives a comparatively complicated, subtle life. His creative work will

surely arouse in observers, who are capable of deeper response, emotions

which cannot be defined in words.

The observer of today, however, Is seldom attuned to those subtler vibra-

tions. In the realm of art, he seeks a mere Imitation of nature by serving

a practical purpose (a life-like portrait of depiction In the ordinary sense);

an imitation following certain conventions (Impressionist painting); and,

finally, those expressions of an Inner feeling called "Stimmung" by the

Germans and best translated as sentiment'*') concealing its true essence

in nature-forms.

All these forms, when truly artistic, fulfill their purpose and (as in the

former instance) become food for the spirit. It is particularly so In the

third instance, where the observer becomes conscious of a responsive

vibration within his soul. Of course, such harmony (or contrast) cannot be either worthless or superficial. Indeed, the "Stimmung" or sentiment of

a painting can intensify the observer's sentimental mood and purify it.

In any event, such works of art safeguard the soul from coarsening its

frequency, and keep it at a certain height, much as a tuning fork pitches

the strings of a musical instrument. Yet, the refined measure of time and

space in sound will remain one-sided and does not at all exhaust the ut-

most possible effectiveness of art.

Visualize a large, a very large, a smaller or medium size building divided

into various rooms. All the walls of the rooms covered with small, large

and medium sized canvases. Through the medium of colour, items of

"nature" are represented: animals — drinking water or lying in the grass *) It is to be regretted that this word sentiment, which is meant to describe the poetical

efforts of an artist's living soul, has been misused and finally ridiculed. Was there ever a great word that the masses did not try immediately to cheapen and desecrate?

II

INTRODUCTION

in light or shade; next to them a crucifixion, painted by an artist who dis- believes in Christ; flowers; or human figures sitting, standing, walking,

frequently naked, many naked women (often fore-shortened from behind); apples on silver dishes, the portrait of Councilor N; a sunset; a lady

in Pink; flying ducks; the portrait of Baroness X; flying geese; Lady In

White; calves, dotted by the bright yellow sunlight; the portrait of His

Excellency Y; another lady in Green.

Carefully listed in a book are the names of artists, the titles of their pic-

tures. People carry these books in their hands as they go from one canvas

to another and turn over the pages and read the names. Then, they go

away neither richer nor poorer in spirit than when they entered; and are

at once, again engulfed by their personal interests, which have nothing

whatsoever to do with art. Why did they come? Each painting mysteriously contains an entire life, a life of many sufferings, hours of doubts, of enthusiasm and of delighted inspiration. Whither does this

life go? Whereto directs the artist's soul its active creatlveness? What is its message? "To send light into the depth of human hearts Is the

artist's vocation," said Schumann. "An artist is a man who can draw and paint anything," said Tolstoi. Of these two definitions of artist's activity we must choose the second, if we think of the exhibition just described. With more or less skill, virtuosity and vigor, objects are re-created on

a canvas, painted either roughly or smoothly. To harmonize the whole

onto the canvas is the road which leads to art. With cold eyes and in-

different spirit the spectator regards this work. The connoisseurs ad-

mire "skill" (just as one would admire the prowess of a tight-rope dancer),

and enjoy the "painting" (as one would enjoy a pastry). Hungry souls

leave as hungry as they came.

The masses stroll through the rooms and state their opinion; some can-

vases are "nice," others, "splendid." The man who could have said some- thing to the other man, did not say it, and he who could have heard, heard nought. This condition in art is called, "L'art pour I'art."

12

INTRODUCTION

This destruction of the inner sound {the very life of colour) is the scatter-

ing of the artist's strength into emptiness, as is such "art for art." The

artist seeks material reward for his skill, his power of invention, or vision.

His purpose becomes the satisfaction of vanity and greed. Instead of

intensified, co-operative work amongst artists, they scramble for pos-

sessions. There are complaints about too much competition and over-

production. Hates, partisanship, cliques, jealousy, intrigues are the result

of this aimless, materialistic art.*)

"Understanding" is the approach of the observer to the artist's viewpoint. Yet, quietly the observer turns away from artists, who cannot

see their life's purpose in such an art which is not needed, but who aspire

to a higher goal. To understand is to elevate the onlooker to the artist's

level.

Art, as the child of Its age, can only repeat artistically what is already

expressed in the contemporary trend. This art which bears no potentiality

for the future and which, therefore, Is only the child of its time, cannot

grow to be a mother of the future. It is, therefore, a barren art; it Is of

short duration and does not survive the passing of the period nor the

atmosphere which made it possible.

Such art, capable of further evolution, sprang from its spiritual period,

while, at the same time, it is not merely its echo or mirror, but contains

a wakening to prophetic power, which can have a deep and far-reaching

influence.

Spiritual life, to which art belongs and of which it is one of Its mightiest

*) A few singular exceptions do not change this sad and ominous picture, and even these exceptions are to be found mainly amongst artists, whose doctrine is merely, "art

for art's sake." Even though they serve a higher ideal it is ultimately a useless waste

of their powers. External beauty is an element of spiritual atmosphere. Beyond this

positive fact, (beautiful equals good) there lies the weakness of a talent not used to its

fullest extent. (The word, "Talent" is here used in its gospel-sense).

13

INTRODUCTION

agents, is a complicated but definite and simplified uplifting movement.

This movement is one of perception. It can take various forms, but basic- ally it retains the same inner sense and purpose.

Veiled in obscurity are the causes moving us forward and upward by

"the sweat of the brow," through suffering, evil, and pain.

14

II

THE MOVEMENT

Many grievous obstacles along this road must be conquered, so as to arrive at the first stage; and even then an evil, unseeing hand may toss more obstacles in the way, so that this road sometimes appears to be

totally impassable, as all landmarks vanish.

It is then that there unfailingly arises some human being, no different

from the rest of humanity but for a secret power of "Vision" within him.

15

THE MOVEMENT

He sees and points the way. Sometimes he would prefer to lay aside his power, as it is a heavy cross to bear; but he cannot do so. Though

scorned and hated, he never lets go but drags the cartload of protesting

humanity after him, ever forcing it forward and upward, over all obstacles

in his way.

Yet frequently, long after his disappearance from this earth, when no

vestiges of his bodily "I" remain, many seek to retain the form of his

futile body in various ways, often in gigantic scales in marble, iron, bronze,

or stone, as if there had been any intrinsic value in the embodiment of

these divine servants of humanity and martyrs, who so decidedly despised

the material, and only served spiritual aims. At any rate, this last resort-

ing to the marble effigy shows that many, by now, have reached that

high pinnacle, where he, whom they at last strive to honor, once stood so utterly alone.

A large acute triangle divided into unequal segments, the narrowest one pointing upwards, is a schematically correct representation of

spiritual life. The lower the segment the larger, wider, higher, and more

embracing will be the other parts of the triangle.

The entire triangle moves slowly, almost invisible, forward and upward

and where the apex was "today," the second segment is going to be "to-

morrow,"*) that is to say, that which today can be understood only by

the apex, and which to the rest of the triangle seems an incomprehensible

gibberish, tomorrow forms the true and sensitive life of the second seg-

ment.

•

At the apex of the top segment, sometimes one man stands entirely alone.

His joyous vision corresponds to a vast Inner sorrow, and even those, who

are closest to him, do not comprehend him. Angrily, they may call him

*) This "today" and "tomorrow" is in its inner sense comparable to the biblical "day"

of creation.

16

THE MOVEMENT

a knave or a fool. So it was with Beethoven, who at his very highest peak

also stood alone *].

How many years had to pass until a greater segment of the triangle reached the spot where once he stood? Despite statues erected to him

now, are there really men who have risen to this level**)? Artists are to

be found in every segment of this imaginary triangle. Each one of these

artists, who can see beyond the limits of his present stage, in this segment of spiritual evolution is a prophet to those surrounding him and helps to

move forward the ever obstinate carload of humanity. However, one of those not possessed by such vision, or misusing it for base purposes and

reasons, when he closes the triangle may be easily understood by his fel- low men and even acclaimed. The larger the segment (that is, the lower it

lies in the triangle), the greater is the number of people to comprehend

the words of the artist. In spite of it and correspondingly every group

consciously or unconsciously hungers for spiritual food.

This food is offered by its artists to the next following segment which

will be stretching out its hand tomorrow.

This schematical presentation, however, does not express the spiritual

life. Among other things, it does not show the shadowside, a large deadly black spot. However, it happens too often that a low level of spiritual nourishment satisfied some, who are already in a higher segment.

Even food becomes poisonous, and in smaller quantities affects their soul

*) Are not some memorials and statues a sorry answer to this question?

**) Weber, the composer of "Der Freischueti" said of Beethoven's Seventh

Symphony, "Now the extravagances of this genius have reached the limit, Beethoven is completely ripe for the mad-house." Of the fascinating phrase at the beginning of the first bar on a reiterated E Abbe Stadler said to his neighbor on hearing it for the first time, "Always that E he just can't think of anything else, the talent-

less fellow!" (Beethoven by August Goellerich, see page I, series 'Die Musilc' pub-

lished by R. Strauss).

17

THE MOVEMENT

in its higher segment, gradually lowering it to a lower section; while talcen

in larger quantities this poison casts the falling soul into ever lower

spheres. In one of his novels Siemkiewicz compares spiritual life with

swimming; whoever fails to work untiringly and does not continuously

fight against sinking, will surely go under. Here, a man's gift, "The Tal-

ents," (again used in the sense of the Gospel can become a curse, not

only to him, but to all those, who partake of this poisonous intake. Such an artist uses his strength to feed his lower needs; ostensibly garbing it in

artistic forms, he presents the impure; attracting weak elements to him-

self, he constantly mixes them with evil; he induces others to betray them-

selves while convincing all, to quench their thirst from the pure spring

of spirituality. This impedes the movement, drags back those, who strive onward and contaminates all around t4iem.

Of course, there are periods, when art lacks a high champion altogether, when there is no spiritual nourishment. These are times of retrogression

in the spiritual world. Ceaselessly, souls fall from the higher to the lower

segments, and the entire triangle appears to be motionless. It even seems

to move down and backwards. During these dumb, blind periods, men lay special and exclusive stress on outward success. They are only inter-

ested in material possessions and welcome any technical advancement,

which only helps man's body, proclaiming this servitude as an achievement

of major magnitude, while spiritual forces are neglected, if not com-

pletely ignored.

The solitary seekers, the hungry of soul, the visionaries are derided or

dubbed as spiritually abnormal. Those rare souls, however, who refuse

to be lulled into lethargy and forever yearn, however vaguely, for spiritual

life, advancement, and knowledge, sound disconsolate and lamentful

amidst the coarse materialistic chorus of spiritual darkness. Agony sur- rounds these terrified souls and their followers. Sorely tormented by

doubt and fear and losing strength, they often prefer creeping oblitera-

tion to this sudden leap Into darkness.

At such a period, when Art is basely degraded and only used for ma-

18

THE MOVEMENT

terialisfic purposes, it seeks its inspiration in nnaterial harshness, as it can-

not imagine any finer aims. Obiective reproduction, unalteringly boring,

remains its perpetual goal. The "what" in art disappears 'eo ipso.' Only

the "how," the manner of reproduction by the artist persists as a question

of creed. The soul in art is lost.

Art goes still further in its pursuit of the objective "how." It begins to

specialize, thus becoming comprehensible only to the artists, who com-

plain of the public's indifference to their works. An artist, in such times, is not even expected to have a message but can attract atten-

tion through some particular "originality" or "eccentricity." Conse-

quently, being praised by a group of patrons and connoisseurs (usually

resulting in material benefits), a large number of gifted and skilled people

plunge into an art, which appears so easy to master. In each "artistic

center," there are thousands of such artists, the majority of them merely

looking for some new method, to produce millions of works utterly de-

void of enthusiastic warmth of heart or the slightest stirring of the soul.

"Competition" grows. The wild battle for success renders the search in-

creasingly superficial. Small groups of artists who, by chance, fought a

way out of this artistic and spiritual chaos entrench themselves in small achievement. The public, which has been left behind, looks on in bewilder-

ment, loses interest for such art, and quietly turns away from it.

Despite all this delusion, chaos, and wild hunt, the spiritual triangle con-

tinues, slowly but surely and with irrestible forces, to move ever for- ward and upward.

The invisible Moses descends from the mountain and sees the dance

around the golden calf. Nevertheless, he brings to mankind wisdom's

solace.

First realized by the artist, his language is inaudible to the masses. Sub-

consciously, the artist follows the call. That very question "how" con-

tains a hidden seed of recovery. For even though this "how" remains

essentially barren, a possibility still dv/ells in this "originality," this tend-

19

THE MOVEMENT

ency (which some call "personality") of not only seeing the purely ma-

terial side of an object, but also that which is condensed as differentiated

from the objective of the realistic period, which meant to reproduce

anything "just as it is," and "without employing any creative imagina-

tion" *). If this "how" also engages the artist's emotional power and is

capable of giving free scope to his finer feeling, it already pushes art

to the crest of the road, where it will later unfailingly find its lost "what."

That "what" constitutes the spiritual food for the now beginning spiritual

awakening. This no longer will be the material, objective "what" of for-

mer epochs but an artistic substance — the soul of art — without which its body (the "how") can never lead a completely sound existence,

as is the case with individuals and entire peoples.

This "what" is the eternal truth embraced by art, and which only art can express by means essen- tially its own.

*) Frequently, use is made here of the terms "material" and "immaterial" and the interim phases which are terms "more or less." Is everything material? Is everything spiritual? Can the distinction, which we make between matter and spirit, be nothing but graduations of one or the other? Thought, which science terms

the product of "spirit" is matter, a fine but not a coarse substance. Is whatever

cannot be touched with the hand spiritual? It is not possible to discuss the subject

further in this little book; it suffices if the boundaries drawn are not too definite.

20

Ill

THE SPIRITUAL TURNING-POINT

The spiritual triangle moves slowly onward and upwards. While presently

one of the largest of the lower segments reaches the point of using the

first slogan of this materialistic creed, the dwellers of its segment bear

various religious titles. They are called Jews, Catholics, Protestants, etc.

In reality, they are atheists, which the boldest and narrowest amongst

them, quite openly admit. "Heaven" has become uninhabited. "Sod is dead." In politics, these people are Democrats or Republicans. The fear,

horror, and hate, which yesterday they felt for certain political creeds,

is now directed against anarchy, of which they know only its much-

dreaded name. In economics, these people are socialists. They sharpen

the sword of justice, with which to deal the death blow to the hydra of

capitalism, and to hew off the head of evil.

Since the inhabitants of this large segment of the triangle have never

solved any problem independently, but have always been dragged in

the cart of humanity by self-sacrificing fellowmen, who stand high above

them, they know nought of this progress which they always have ob-

served from afar. They, therefore, believe that this progress is very easy

and put their trust in infallible prescriptions and never-failing methods.

21

THE SPIRITUAL TURNING-POINT

Those in the segment next below are dragged blindly higher by those

just described, while they cling to their old position and resistance in

fear of betrayal to the unknown.

In a religious sense, the higher social segments contain those, who are not only blind atheists but who justify their godlessness with strange words

and sayings; as, for example, those of Virchow, so unworthy of a learned

man: "I have dissected many corpses but never yet discovered a soul

in any." In politics, they know different parliamentary procedures, and

read the political editorials. In economics, they are socialists of various

grades and shadings and are capable of supporting their "convictions"

by numerous quotations, (starting with Schweitzer's "Emma" via Lasalle's "Iron law on wages," to Marx's "Capital" and so on, down the line).

In those loftier segments gradually appear men of "science and art" (absent in those just described]. Literatteurs and musicians, also, belong

to this category, while men of science are positivists recognizing only

those things, which can be weighed and measured. Anything else they

view in the same way — sometimes as discreditable nonsense, a title which only yesterday they attributed to those theories, which today have

become proven facts.

In art, they are naturalists, believing firmly within those limits well estab-

lished by others, and which they unconditionally accept, thereby believing

in the personality, individuality, and temperament of artists they can

esteem.

Despite the apparent well-ordered security, despite the infallible prin-

ciples, there lurks In these higher segments a hidden fear, a confusion,

a trembling and an uncertainty like that, which creeps into the souls of

passengers on an ocean liner on the high seas, as the shoreline vanishes

in the fog and the mournful wind whips the waves Into towering moun-

tains. This fear results from their race belief. They realize, that scientists;

statesmen, and artists are admired today, who only yesterday were de-

22

THE SPIRITUAL TURNING-POINT

rided as Imposters, swindlers, or unworthy charlatans. The higher the

segment in this visionary triangle, the clearer divided are these sharp

angles of tear and sense of insecurity. In the highest segments, here and

there are found eyes which can see for themselves, brains which are

capable of deduction. Such gifted pe

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