Kandinsky, Vasily – View of Murnau Hermitage ~ part 14 (Hi Resolution images)

This is an oil painting by Vasily Kandinsky, titled View of Murnau. The artwork depicts a vibrant and expressive landscape, characteristic of early Fauvism and German Expressionism.
The scene is dominated by bold colors and simplified forms. In the foreground, a rich, golden-yellow path or ground is depicted, with a dark, triangular shape of intense green on the lower left, possibly representing a hill or a shadow. To the right, a pinkish-red wall with white accents runs horizontally, bordering a strip of blue and lighter pink.
The middle ground features a cluster of buildings with brightly colored roofs – pink, red, and blues – nestled among lush green trees. The trees are painted with energetic, choppy brushstrokes, with dark green foliage partially obscuring some of the houses. Some trees are rendered in lighter greens, one notably as a large, almost yellow-green mass on the right. The architecture itself is simplified, with facades in shades of blue, beige, and orange.
The background is a bright, luminous sky, with patches of white clouds adding texture and depth, set off by blues and subtle yellows. The overall impression is one of a sunny, lively village scene, but abstracted through Kandinskys distinctive use of color and form.
The subtexts of this painting likely relate to Kandinskys evolving artistic theories during this period. View of Murnau is a clear example of his move towards abstraction, where he prioritized emotional experience and spiritual expression over literal representation. The intense colors are not entirely representational; they are used to convey a feeling or an inner reality. The simplification of forms suggests a move away from the material world towards a more essential, spiritualized vision. The vibrant, almost jubilant palette could be interpreted as an expression of lifes energy and Kandinskys personal joy in the act of creation and his connection to nature. The impasto technique and visible brushwork further contribute to the dynamic and emotive quality of the painting, inviting the viewer to feel the scene rather than just see it.