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Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

“Sketch work for improvisation No.8” (1909), sold on November 2012 at Christie’s in New York, for 23 million dollars. Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

They say behind every successful man there is a woman. In Wassily Kandinsky’s life there were three women, who inspired and supported him, sharing good and bad days, they followed him and inspired him, they loved him. Wassily Kandinsky’s women were – Anna, his first wife, he lived with her for 10 years; Gabriele, she was not his wife, but they were engaged, and the second wife Nina, with her he lived for 28 years. These three women were three muses of the artist Wassily Kandinsky.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Russian painter, print-maker and art theorist, one of the founders of abstractionism Wassily Kandinsky

An outstanding Russian painter, print-maker and art theorist, one of the founders of abstractionism Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow on 16th December, 1866. He graduated from Moscow University, law and economics faculty. At the age of 30 he began studying art in Germany, painting became his passion.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Wassily Kandinsky

Kandinsky had lived in Munich, Germany for 18 years, from 1896 to 1914, then returned to Moscow. After the Russian Revolution in 1917 he came back to Germany, but when the Nazis got power, Wassily moved to France, and lived there till his death – 13 December 1944.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Wassily Kandinsky

Young Kandinsky married his cousin Anna Chemyakina, who was six years older. Anna took care of her husband, following him to Germany. And for many years Anna had to cope with passionate relationships between her husband and a young artist Gabriele Munter. Their love affair lasted for more than ten years. For several years Kandinsky lived in a house, which was bought for him by Gabriele.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Gabriele Munter by Kandinsky

When a young Gabrielle Munter appeared in art class of Kandinsky, she was 25 years old, and he was 36 and he was married to Anna Chemyakina for 5 years. Surely Kandinsky attracted Gabriele as an interesting teacher. She wrote about it in her diaries. Thus began their friendship, which grew into love.

Gabriele Munter, Portrait of Marianne von Werefkin, 1909

Gabriele Munter, Portrait of Marianne von Werefkin, 1909

In 1911, after a successful Stockholm exhibition, which was organized by Gabriele, Kandinsky returned to Russia, promising finally to divorce with Anna. He did it, but he still continued to live with Gabriele as a lover. In the spring of 1916 he left for Russia, promising Gabriele to prepare documents for marriage. And in the winter of 1917, he married, but not Gabrielle.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Gabrielle Munter

He didn’t tell Gabriele about his young wife. Gabriele unsuccessfully tried to find it out, wrote letters, but they remained unanswered. Only four years later, in 1921, Kandinsky, in a letter from his lawyer, had demanded from Gabriele to return him his personal belongings and artworks. Gabriele didn’t return all his paintings, and kept them as “moral compensation”.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Wassily Kandinsky and his wife Nina Andreevskaya

The acquaintance of 17-year-old Nina Andreevskaya and 50-year-old Kandinsky took place in 1916, by telephone. And later he confessed to Nina Kandinsky that he first fell in love with her voice. It was the day he wrote his watercolor “Unfamiliar voice”. “I was surprised by his stunning blue eyes” – would write Nina in her diary. On February 11, 1917, a couple got married. A bride was wearing white dress by Kandinsky’s sketch. Undoubtedly, many believed that Nina was married to a celebrity. But she always argued, saying that it was love at first sight. In support of this, she was a faithful wife for him for nearly 28 years.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Gabriele Munter, Self-Portrait 1909

Insulted and betrayed, Gabriele wrote him a 40-page letter in which she expressed what she thought about the former teacher, beloved and civil husband. After that letter Kandinsky sent a notarized document, which gave Mrs. Munter right of his pictures ownership.

Gabriele and Wassily

Gabriele and Wassily

With the outbreak of World War II the Kandinskys did not leave Paris. And the occupation of the city did not influence the daily routine of Kandinsky – he walked and painted every day, until July 1944. On December 13, 1944, Wassily Kandinsky died.

Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky

From left to right - Wassily Kandinsky, Nina Kandinsky, Georg Muche, Paul Klee, Walter Gropius. 1926

From left to right – Wassily Kandinsky, Nina Kandinsky, Georg Muche, Paul Klee, Walter Gropius. 1926

Nina was very well aware that the price of his paintings soon would grow, she refused to sell them. After the war, she continued to live in Paris, in their home. She sold and donated her husband’s artworks to various museums, organized Memorial Exhibitions. In 1973, she published a book of memoirs “Kandinsky and I”. On September 2, 1980, her house in the mountains in Switzerland was attacked by robbers, Nina was killed, and all her jewelry was stolen. Her husband’s pictures weren’t touched. The crime was never solved.

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Wassily Kandinsky 1903 Bride, Russian Beauty

Wassily Kandinsky 1903 Bride, Russian Beauty

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Wassily Kandinsky 1906

Wassily Kandinsky and Nina Andreevskaya, 1926

Wassily Kandinsky and Nina Andreevskaya, 1926

Wassily Kandinsky

Kandinsky – ‘On White II’ expresses an intelligent combination of the two main colors in the painting, black and white

Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky. Composition X (1939) From WebMuseum, Paris

Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky, Squares with Concentric Circles, 1913

Wassily Kandinsky, Squares with Concentric Circles, 1913

Kandinsky. Composition VI , 1913

Kandinsky. Composition VI, 1913

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Portrait of Nina, artist’s wife

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

100 rubles coin dedicated to Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Kandinsky with his pet cat

Wassily Kandinsky and his women

Moscow I, 1916. Oil on canvas. The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

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