1866
Born Dec 4 in Moscow.
1881
Bought a set of paints in Odessa and painted while he was a student.
1886
Student of jurisprudence and political economy. In his painting he became frustrated with the subject. Two major events in his life: Monet’s Haystack which came to Moscow in an exhibit of French Impressionism and hearing Wagner’s Lohengrim. He realized he did not need to remain "true" to the subject matter. Still not willing to commit to painting. Before this he had only know Russian Realist painting.
1892
Becomes a lawyer
1895
Turns down a faculty of law appointment with the University of Tartu
1896
Moves to Munich to become a painter. Had previously managed an art printing works.
1897
Studies at Anton Azbi’s until 1899. Meets Jawlensky. Did more painting at home and outdoors than in Anton’s studio with among the students and models.
1899
Application to Struck’s class rejected and he spent a year studying on his own.
1900
Studied under Struck at Munich Academy. Paul Klee was there at the same time but they did not become familiar. Munich is the center of Jugendstil.
1901
Co founds Phalanx. Succumbs to Jugendstil.
1902
Meets Gabriele Munter, his girlfriend. Shows his woodcuts at exhibitions of the Berlin Secession. President of the Phalanx group.
1903-1908
Became engaged to Munter even though he was still married.
Sets out traveling for five years in Europe with Munter. Visits Venice in 03, Tunis in 04-05 for four months, in Dresden the summer of 05, Rapallo four months 05-06, Sevres June 06-June 07, Berlin Sept 07-April 08.
Exhibits with the Salon d’Automne and Salon des Independants from 04 to 08 and the 2nd Der Brucke exhibit 06-07 in Dresden.
Taught at the Phalanx School. Abandons the group in 04. Also taught a class of decorative painting at Düsseldorf Kunstgewerbeschule.
Won medals in Paris 04 and 05. On the jury of the Salon d’Automne, 06 he won a Grand Prix.
1908-1913
Moved from Fauve landscapes to abstraction, pivotal works in 1910-1 for 20th century painting: Murnau – The Garden II, Sketch for Composition II, Angel of Last Judgement.
1908
Back in Munich, he takes the summer in Murnau with Jawlensky, Munter and Werefkin.
1909
Bought a house in Murnau. Named Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso as main influences.
Founds Die Neue Kunstleruereinigung, The New Artists Alliance. With the purpose to ‘organize art exhibitions in Germany and abroad, and of reinforcing their effect by lectures, publications and similar means.’ Members: Jawlensky, Werefkin, Kandinsky (pres), Munter, Kanoldt and Erbsloh. By the end of the year six more had joined including a dancer. In 1910 two Frenchmen join. Alfred Kubin took part in exhibitions as a guest. They had an exhibit in 1909 and 1910 at the Thannhauser gallery and then toured several German towns. Both exhibitions met with repudiation on tour. Got the attention of August Macke and Franz Marc who were also in Munich.
In the next few years Kandinsky reaches Expressionist abstraction. See quotes in 1. on page 110-112.
1910
Friendship with Franz Marc. Wrote Uber das Geistige m der Kunst.
1911
Leaves Die Neue Kunstleruereinigung with Marc. Dec 18th: Kandinsky, Marc and Munter exhibit at the Thannhauser gallery as the Editors of The Blue Rider. This ran concurrently with the New Artist’s Alliance exhibition. Marc wrote to Macke "We are staunch and true and in rather a champagne mood." It was a haphazard exhibition with 43 works including Henri Rousseau, Albert Bloch, the Bruljuk brothers, Campendonk, Macke, and Delaunay. The exhibit showed until Jan 3rd and then toured Germany. Opened in Berlin in March at the first Sturm exhibition. Other works there by Klee, Kubin, Jawlensky, and Werefkin.
1914
Moves to Switzerland and later moves back to Moscow. Separates from Munter when he moves to Russia I believe.
1918
Member Commissariat for Popular Enlightenment. Tutuor at Moscow Academy.
1920
Tutor at Moscow University
1921
Moves to Berlin.
1922
Teacher at Bauhaus in Weimer.
1933
Moves to Paris.
1933
Declared a ‘degenerate.’
1944
Dies 13 December at Nevilly-sur-Seine.
SOURCES
1. The Expressionists.
Wolf-Dieter Dube, trans by Mary Whittall. Thames
and Hudson 1972.
2. The Royal Academy of Art.
Derain to Kandinsky: Masters of Colour. London, 2000.