Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow into a merchant family. In 1871 the family moved to Odessa, where his parents soon divorced. The boy was looked after by his aunt. In Odessa Kandinsky studied in a classical gymnasium and had private lessons in music, drawing and painting. In 1886 he returned to Moscow to begin studying law and economics at the Moscow University. While a student, in 1889, he got commissioned by the "Society for Natural Science, Ethnography and Anthropology" to go on a research expedition to Vologda. The strong folk art of northern Russia made a lasting impression on him, and the results of his trip made an impression on the Society, which chose him their member. In 1892 Kandinsky got his Law degree. He became a lecturer at the Moscow University, and married his cousin Anna (Anya) Chimiakina. He pursued his academic career but at the same time paid more and more attention to art. Thus in 1895 he took the post of art director of a publishing house in Moscow.
1901. Color lithograph on paper. 47.3 x 60.3 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1902. Oil on canvas. 52 x 78.5 cm. Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France.
1903. Color woodcut, rwo blocks. 31.2 x 31.2 cm. The Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow, Russia.
1903. Color woodcut, two blocks, gold and stencil, third state. 12.7 x 29.7 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1903. Oil on canvas. 55 x 65 cm. Private collection.
1903. Colored woodcut, three blocks in secondstate. 19.5 x 14.5 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1903. Oil on canvas. 58.5 x 58.5 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1904. Mixed media on panel. 26 x 19.8 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1904. Oil on canvas mounted on cardboard. 24 x 32.6 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1905. Oil on canvas. 45 x 45 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1906. Oil on canvas. 55 x 50.5 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1906. Tempera on cardboard. 49 x 66 cm. Musée National d'Art Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris, France.
1907. Tempera on canvas. 130 x 162.5 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1908. Oil on cardboard. 68.8 x 49 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1908/09. Oil on canvas. 106 x 96.6 cm. The Solomon R. Guggebheim Museum, New York, NY, USA.
1909. Oil on card. 71.5 x 98 cm. Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany.
1909. Oil on cardboard. 44.4 x 32.7 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1909. Oil on cardboard. 50 x 65 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1909. Oil on canvas. 33 x 44.6 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
1909. Oil on cardboard. 36 x 49 cm. Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich, Germany.
Concerning Spiritual in Art. By W. Kandinsky. Leningrad. 1990.
Wassily Kandinsky. By D. Sarabyanov and N. Avtonomova. Moscow. 1994.
Art of Russia. XX century. By Nonna Stepanyan. Moscow. 1999.
Kandinsky, Complete Writings on Art by Wassily Kandinsky, Kenneth Clement Lindsay, Peter Vergo (Editor). DaCapo Press, 1994.
Kandinsky (Masters of Art) by Thomas M. Messer. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997.
Wassily Kandinsky 1866-1944: A Revolution in Painting (Basic Art) by Hajo Duchting (Editor). TASCHEN America Llc, 2000.
Vasily Kandinsky (Great Painters Series) by Mikhail Guerman. Parkstone Press, 1998.
Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Munter: Letters and Reminiscences 1902-1914 by Wassily Kandinsky, Annegret Hoberg, Gabriele Munter. Prestel USA, 2001.
Kandinsky: Watercolours and Other Works on Paper by Frank Whitford, Wassily Kandinsky. Thames & Hudson, 1999.