Wassily Kandinsky was one of the early pioneers of abstract painting, and his influence on the development of Bauhaus has continued to be felt today. Among his numerous and highly influential works, ‘Transverse Line’ (1923) stands out as one of his most memorable pieces. This work measures 141 centimetres by 202 centimetres or about 55 inches by 79 inches and is an important example of Kandinsky’s lyrical style, with its vibrant colors and innovative use of nonfigurative forms.
Kandinsky believed that abstract shapes and colors could be used as means for expressing the “inner life” of the artist, and this can be seen in ‘Transverse Line’ through its composition. An important shape in ‘Transverse Line’ is a circle, which Kandinsky viewed as a symbol of peace and the human soul. The sense of harmony that radiates from ‘Transverse Line’ speaks to Wassily Kandinsky’s passionate belief in non-figurative artwork as a way for us to communicate emotions that reach beyond words.
The legacy left by Wassily Kandinsky extends far beyond ‘Transverse Line’, with Painting With Green Center (1913) also notable as one key part of his remarkable artistic catalogue. This distinctive piece shows how, while Kandinsky largely turned away from traditional representational art, there were still hints at figuration in some of his work, marking him out as an innovator who knew no artistic boundaries.
