Old City II Vasily Kandinsky (1866-1944)

Description of Wassily Kandinsky’s "Old Town" (1902)

Wassily Kandinsky’s "Old Town" was painted during his creative quest, in 1902, and belongs to the artist’s early works. The work was created in the direction of Art Nouveau, characterized by its generalized forms. Like many other early works, the presented painting is painted in a cheerful color palette characteristic of Romanticism. Kandinsky spent several years in Munich, where he often arrived in high spirits. After his trip to the medieval town of Rottenburg an der Tauber the master retained pleasant impressions and memories which brought him back to the world of fairytale reveries. Despite the fact that the artist experienced a long separation from his family and the death of his native uncle, he painted vivid works. Pleasant memories helped to overcome feelings of loneliness.

The artist had an incredible visual memory and amazing perception. Thanks to his abilities, he was able to reproduce, from memory, the landscapes he saw. Kandinsky depicted the city in vivid colors, creating an exaggeratedly stylized look. The painting is painted with vigorous strokes. Yellow and red predominate, flooding the entire space with their flow. The sun metaphorically represents love, beauty, happiness and harmony. This metaphor is typical of symbolism.

The painting depicts a motionless female silhouette. The woman is dressed in a dress characteristic of the Middle Ages. Behind the back of the heroine is a city. The woman seems to be frozen in anticipation. The plot is reminiscent of another work of the master, entitled "Sunset", where the rider is heading into the old town. Compared with "Sunset", "Old Town" looks more organic. There is a certain correlation and a secret symbolic implication between these paintings. Perhaps the heroine is waiting for her rider on the way to the old city