Vasily Kandinsky

(Russia 1866–1944)

Title

Study for 'Painting with white border'

Other titles:

(Study for 'Painting with white border') Variation III

Alternative title:

Etude pour 'Peinture au bord blanc' Entwurf zu 'Bild mit weissem rand'

Year

1913

Media

Watercolour

Medium

watercolour, gouache, ink

Dimensions

39.0 x 35.0cm image; 57.0 x 52.0 x 3.5cm frame

Signature & date

Signed l.r., watercolour "K" [in a triangle monogram]. Not dated.

Credit

Purchased 1982

Accession number

147.1982

Copyright

Location

Not on display

Further information

Vasily Kandinsky's artistic personality had been formed in part by the examples of peasant painting he collected as a prosperous solicitor. When he later made his leap to full-time creative practice, he sustained his interest in the decorative principles of Russian and other folk art traditions. This watercolour study for one of Kandinsky's breakthrough abstractions of the pre-war period contains residual representations of a horse and rider: the primitive St George familiar from his earlier work. The background is a landscape complete with rustic village. Yet to read the image literally robs it of its power of association. Kandinsky's intention is to loosen reality from recognisability, to set it adrift. The new vista he unveils is in the realm of the spiritual and the resulting work of art is authentically abstract. With his fascination for theosophical and mediumistic beliefs, and his idealistic faith in the improving potential of painting, Kandinsky was as much a priest of art as a painter.

Art Gallery Handbook, 1999.

Provenance

Sotheby's London (England), 30 Mar 1982, London/England, Purchased by the AGNSW from Sotheby's London, 30 March 1982 "Highly important 20th century paintings", lot no. 7.
Markus B. Mizne (b.1908, d.1994), 02 Jan 1959-30 Mar 1982, Paris/France, Purchased by Mr and Mrs Mizne from Sidney Janis Gallery, 2 Jan 1959. Information from Sidney Janis Gallery 30 Mar 1983. Painting included in Sotheby's, London 'Important Impressionist and Modern Drawings and Watercolours' 3/12/1980, Lot 141a [not sold]
Sidney Janis Gallery (United States of America), Aug 1958-02 Jan 1959, New York/New York/United States of America, Acquired by Sidney Janis Gallery from E.J. Wisselingh & Co. summer 1958. Information from Sidney Janis Gallery 30 Mar 1983.
E.J. Van Wisselingh & Co. (Netherlands), pre Aug 1958, Amsterdam/Netherlands
J.J.M. Schijvens (Netherlands), circa 1947, Zeist/Netherlands, Information from 'Kandinsky Watercolours, Catalogue Raisonne, Vol. 1, 1900-1921' by Vivian Endicott Barnett, 1992 p.303.
J. van Assendelft-Hoos (Netherlands), circa 1931, Gouda/Netherlands, Information from 'Kandinsky Watercolours, Catalogue Raisonne, Vol. 1, 1900-1921' by Vivian Endicott Barnett, 1992 p.303.
H. van Assendelft (Netherlands, b.1875, d.1928), 1913, Gouda/Netherlands

Bibliography (20)

Paths to Abstraction 1867-1917 (2010), Terence Maloon (Australia) (Author), AUT.

Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook (1999), Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Modernism 1900-1950 - Prints and Drawings from the Collection (1994), Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections (1994), Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Kandinsky Watercolours: Catalogue Raisonne, Volume One, 1900-1921 (1992), Vivian Endicott Barnett (United States of America) (Author), Sotheby's Publications (England), London, England.

Kandinsky: Watercolours and Drawings (1992), Vivian Endicott Barnett (United States of America) (Author), Armin Zweite (Germany) (Author), Prestel Verlag (Germany), Unknown.

Kandinsky: Kleine Freuden Aquarelle und Zeichnungen (1992), Armin Zweite (Germany) (Author), Vivian Endicott Barnett (United States of America) (Author), Prestel Verlag (Germany), Germany.

Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook (1988), Annabel Davie (Editor), Trustees of the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia), Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Kandinsky über Kandinsky (1986), Felix Thürlemann (Author), Benteli Verlag, Bern, Switzerland.

Five years on: a selection of acquisitions 1981-1986 (1986), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Portrait of a Gallery (1984), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Editor), Jan Meek (Australia) (Editor), Capel Court Corporation Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Kandinsky, catalogue raisonné of the oil-paintings, Volume One 1900-1915 (1982-1984), Hans K. Roethel (b.1909, d.1982) (Author), Jean K. Benjamin (United Kingdom, b.1922) (Author), Sotheby's Publications (England), London, England.

Art and Australia (Vol. 22, No. 1) (Spring 1984), Elwyn Lynn (Australia, b.1917, d.1997) (Editor), Fine Arts Press Pty Limited (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Kandinsky at the Guggenheim (1983), Vivian Endicott Barnett (United States of America) (Author), Abbeville Press (United States of America), New York, New York, United States of America.

Gazette des beaux arts (Mar 1983), Editor Unknown (Editor), Publisher unknown, Unknown.

Art Gallery of New South Wales Collection Series 4 (Winter 1983), Barry Pearce (Australia) (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Art and Australia (Vol. 20, No. 2) (Summer 1982), Mervyn Horton (Australia, b.1917, d.1983) (Editor), Fine Arts Press Pty Limited (Australia), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Sotheby's London: Highly important twentieth century paintings (30 Mar 1982), Sotheby's London (England) (Editor), Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications, London, England.

Sotheby's London: Important Impressionist and Modern drawings and watercolours (03 Dec 1980), Sotheby's London (England) (Editor), Sotheby Parke Bernet Publications, London, England.

Kandinsky (1947), Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum (Netherlands, estab. 1936) (Author), Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum (Netherlands, estab. 1936), Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Exhibition history (11)

Kandinsky: Kleine Freuden Aquarelle und Zeichnungen, (07 Mar 1992–10 May 1992), at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (Germany), Grabbeplatz 5 Dusseldorf, Germany 1.

Kandinsky, (08 Dec 1947–late Jan 1948), at Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum (Netherlands, estab. 1936), Paleis te Amsterdam Nieuwezjids Voorburgwal 147, 1012 RJ Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Kandinsky, (13 Feb 1948–14 Mar 1948), at Gemeente Museum (Netherlands), The Hague, Netherlands.

Modernism 1900-1950 - Prints and Drawings from the Collection, (23 Jul 1994–25 Sep 1994), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.

Kandinsky: Kleine Freuden Aquarelle und Zeichnungen, (23 May 1992–02 Aug 1992), at Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (Germany), Stuttgart, Germany.

Paths to Abstraction 1867 to 1917, (26 Jun 2010–19 Sep 2010), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain Sydney New South Wales Australia 2000.

Five years on: a selection of acquisitions 1981-1986, (26 Sep 1986–23 Nov 1986), at Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874), Art Gallery Rd Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 2000.

Selection, (Dec 1958–Jan 1959), at Sidney Janis Gallery (United States of America), New York United States.

Maîtres Français XIXe et XXe Siècles, (Jun 1958–Aug 1958), at E.J. Van Wisselingh & Co. (Netherlands), Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Works of art from the collection of Mr and Mrs Markus Mizne, (Summer 1966–Summer 1966), at Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Israel), Jerusalem, Israel.

Kertentoonstelling, (late 1931–early 1932), at Museum Boijmans-van Beuningen (Netherlands), Rotterdam Netherlands.