Kandinsky Chronology

Date

Event

1866

Kandinsky born in December 6 in Moscow; possible dates include December 4, 6, and 16.

1871

Kandinsky family moved to Odessa for his father’s health.

1885

Kandinsky begins his university studies.

1886

Moscow; Kandinsky begins law studies.

1889

Kandinsky embarks on a ethnographic expedition to Vologada, Russia.

Travels to Italy with his family

Travels to Paris.

Sees a Rembrandt at the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.

1892

Travels to Paris.

Kandinsky finishes his university studies.

1895

Moscow; Kandinsky goes to a French Impressionist exhibit.

1896

Kandinsky turns down appointment to faculty at Dorpat University.

Kandinsky arrives in Munich to study painting.

1897

Studies at Azbé School, Munich.

Kandinsky studies with artist Franz von Stuck, in 1897 von Stuck paints The Lost Paradise (Expulsion from the Garden) (Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden.)

1898

Odessa, Port (oil on canvas) (State Tretaykov Gallery, Moscow). Kandinsky’s first painting exhibited

1899

Kandinsky ends his studies at Azbé School, Munich.

1901

Co-Founds Phalanx artist group.

First exhibition of Kandinsky’s Phalanx group, Munich.

1902

Kandinsky elected Phalanx group president; teaches there.

Meets Gabrielle Münter (1877-1952)

Starts making woodcuts.

1903

Phalanx art group’s school stops operations.

Kandinsky travels to Odessa, Moscow and Venice.

1904

Travels to Tunisia, December 1904 to April 1905.

Kandinsky travels to the Netherlands and Odessa.

Kandinsky creates woodcuts, Poems without Words.

1905

Kandinsky travels to Odessa.

In Rapallo, Italy: December 1905 to April 1906.

Kandinsky exhibited at the International Exhibition, Rome.

Kandinsky exhibited at Vienna Secession.

1906

Paints Song of the Volga (tempera on cardboard) Centre Georges Pompidou strongly affected by his travels to the Vologada.

Kandinsky in Sèvres, France from June 1906 to June 1907.

Kandinsky exhibited at Berlin, 11th Secession

Kandinsky exhibited at the Third Küstlerbund exhibit, Weimar.

1907

Kandinsky in Berlin from September 1907 to April 1908.

Kandinsky travels to Switzerland.

1908

Kandinsky goes back to Munich.

Kandinsky meets Maria von Werefkin (1860-1938) and Alexej von Jawlensky (1864-1941).

Kandinsky’s first painting on glass.

1909

Kandinsky buys a house in Murnau.

Elected president of the Neue Küstervereinigung.

Kandinsky publishes Schwarz und Weiss.

1910

Kandinsky visits St. Petersburg, Odessa, and Moscow.

Kandinsky publishes autobiography.

Kandinsky meets Franz Marc (1880-1916)

1911

Establishes Blaue Reiter with Franz Marc.

Initial Blaue Reiter exhibit in Munich.

Kandinsky meets Paul Klee and Jean Arp.

Kandinsky writes two plays in Russian (unpublished).

In March; issues a statement on his early objective abstractive painting: Composition No. 4

Kandinsky exhibits at Der Blaue Reiter, Galerie Thannhauser. Munich.

Kandinsky translates Arnold Schoenberg’s essay on fifths and octaves (published in Odessa International Exhibition of Art: Salon.)

1912

Kandinsky exhibits at Berlin. Galerie Der Sturm, three times this year.

Kandinsky exhibits at Hans Goltz Kunsthandlung “Die zweite Ausstellung der Redaktion Der Blaue Reiter,” Munich.

1913

German edition of Kandinsky autobiography published, Backward Glances.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Armory of the Sixty-ninth Regiment, New York.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago, “International Exhibition of Modern Art.”

Kandinsky exhibits at Boston’s Copley society, Copley Hall, “International Exhibit of Modern Art”

Exhibits at the Erster Deutxher Herbstason, Galerie der Sturm.

Kandinsky exhibits at Hans Goltz, Munich, August-September.

In March; issues explanation of Composition No. 6, a final objective abstraction.

Initial German Salon d’Automne exhibit at Berlin’s Sturm Gallery.

Kandinsky edits and writes several essays for the first edition of Der Blaue Reiter (published in Munich).

1914

Travels to Merano, South Tyrol, Italy (accompanied by his mother).

Travels to Rorschach.

Kandinsky lives at Lake Constance for three months.

Kandinsky travels to Moscow and Odessa.

English translation of Kandinsky’s The Art of Spiritual Harmony published by Constable and Co., London.

From 1914 to 1921 Kandinsky lived in Russia.

1915

Kandinsky in Stockholm December 15 until March 1916.

1916

Gabrielle Münter and Kandinsky separate.

Kandinsky paints Autumn II (oil and washes on canvas). It is sold through the Sturm Gallery to the artist Fritz Schön, Berlin.

Kandinsky exhibits at Gummesson Stockholm.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Dada, Zurich.

1917

Nina Andreevskaya (1899-1980) and Kandinsky marry on February 11.

Kandinsky exhibits at Der Sturm, Zurich.

1918

Appointed to the Russian Department of Fine Arts.

Appointed to the Commissariat of Russian Public Education.

Kandinsky teaches Russian government workshops in art.

Kandinsky exhibits at Der Strum, Berlin.

1919

Establishes Museum for Pictorial Culture in Russia.

Kandinsky starts 22 Russian provincial museums.

Kandinsky exhibits at Sonderausstellung Der Sturm, Galerie Ernest Arnold, Dresden.

1920

Kandinsky publishes Russian Culture Plan (Schematic Plan of Studies and Work for the Institute of Art Culture)

Kandinsky exhibits at Sociéte Anonyme, Moscow.

1921

Kandinsky creates a mural for the Berlin Architectural Show.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Joseph Billiet, Paris.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie von Garvena, Hannover.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Nierendorf, Cologne.

1922

Joins Bauhaus faculty.

Kandinsky paints Small Worlds series of lithographs.

Kandinsky exhibits at Internationale Kunstausstellung, Düsseldorf.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Thannhauser, Munich.

1923

Elected vice president of the Société Anonyme.

Kandinsky exhibits at Kestner-Gesellshaft, Hannover.

Kandinsky exhibits at Detroit Institute of Art.

Kandinsky exhibits at Sociéte Anonyme, New York.

Kandinsky lectures at Weimar on synthetic art.

1924

Kandinsky exhibits at Gallery Fides, Dresden.

1925

Kandinsky exhibits at Nassauischer Kunstverein.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Zurich International Exhibit.

Bauhaus moves to Dessau in April.

1926

Kandinsky exhibits at Braunschweig Kunsthalle.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Arnold, Dresden.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Dresden International Exhibition.

Publication of Kandinsky’s Point and Line to Surface.

1927

Kandinsky writes a play in German (unpublished but portions in. Bauhaus) (no. 3) (1927).

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Goltz, Munich.

Kandinsky exhibits at Mannheim Kunsthalle.

Kandinsky exhibits at Zurich Kunsthalle.

1928

Kandinsky exhibits at Nuremberg Kunsthalle.

Kandinsky and his wife Nina become German citizens.

In Dessau, Kandinsky helps to stage Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Kandinsky exhibits at Frankfurter Kunstverein.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie F. Möller, Berlin.

1929

February, Kandinsky has his first Paris show at Galerie Zak (the gallery opened in 1929 and closed in about 1960).

Exhibits at Galerie Ferdinand Möller, Berlin, Oktober-Austellung W. Kandinsky; Neue Aquarelle.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Deutscher Kunstlerbund, Cologne.

Kandinsky contributes a statement to the Bauhaus Prospectus.

1930

Exhibits at Galerie Flechtheim, Dusseldorf.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Bauhaus Masters Exhibition, Essen.

Kandinsky part of the group exhibit, The Blue Four, Hollywood, CA.

1931

Kandinsky exhibits at Saarbruken, Staatlisches Museum.

Exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago, Eddy art collection.

Kandinsky exhibits at L’Art Vivant, Brussels.

Kandinsky exhibits with the Blue Four, Mexico City.

1932

The Bauhaus occupies new premises in Berlin.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie F. Möller, Berlin.

Kandinsky exhibits with the Blue Four, Santa Barbara, CA.

Exhibits at Valentine Gallery, New York.

Kandinsky first exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, A Brief Survey of Modern Painting (group exhibition).

1933

Kandinsky moves to Paris.

The Bauhaus closed by the Gestapo.

Special edition of Selection, no. 14 (Antwerp) devoted to Kandinsky.

Exhibited at the London International Exhibition.

Exhibits with the Blue Four, Beverly Hills, CA.

1934

Kandinsky meets Piet Mondrian (1872-1944); Joan Mirò (Spain, 1893-1983); Jean Arp (France, 1886-1966); Sir Nikolaus Pevesner (1902-1983).

Exhibits at Galería del Milione, Milan.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Galeria Cahiers d’Art, Paris.

1935

Kandinsky exhibits at Oakland Art Gallery, January.

Kandinsky exhibits at Kunstmuseum Lucerne.

Exhibits at These-Antithese-Synthese, Lucerne.

Kandinsky exhibits at Gallery J.B. Neumann, New York, Kandinsky, Weber, Klee.

1936

Exhibits at Lefévre Gallery, London.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Bucher, Paris.

1937

Kandinsky travels to Switzerland where he meets with Paul Klee (Switzerland, 1879-1940).

Kandinsky exhibits at R. Suter & Co., Bern, February 21 to March 29, 1937.

Kandinsky exhibits at Kunsthalle Bern.

Kandinsky exhibits at Liniens. Sammenslutning, Copenhagen.

Exhibits at Jeu de Paume, Paris.

Kandinsky artwork seized by German government.

1938

Kandinsky meets Robert Delauney (French, 1885-1941).

Kandinsky travels to Italy.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

1939

Kandinsky exhibits at Cornish School, Seattle, February 23 – March 15.

Kandinsky exhibits at University of Washington, Henry Art Gallery, April.

Kandinsky exhibits at San Francisco Museum of Art, July.

Kandinsky exhibits at the Guggenheim Jeune Gallery, London.

Kandinsky exhibits at Nierendorf Gallery, New York.

Exhibits at Galerie Bucher, Paris.

Homage to Kandinsky published by Museum of Non-Objective Painting, New York.

1940

Kandinsky in the Pyrenees for two months.

Kandinsky exhibited at Stendahl Gallery, Los Angeles.

1941

Kandinsky exhibits at Nierendorf Gallery, New York.

1942

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Bucher, Paris.

1944

Kandinsky paints his last painting, Untitled (tempera on cardboard) Centre Georges Pompidou.

Writes Retrospective.

Kandinsky exhibited at “Alfred Stieglitz Exhibition: His Collection,” Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Kandinsky exhibits at Galerie Esquise, Paris.

Kandinsky exhibits at Basel Kunsthalle.

Exhibits at Basel Kunsthalle

Kandinsky, Jawlensky, Feininger and Klee exhibit at Buchholz Gallery, New York, October 31 to November 25.

Kandinsky dies on December 13 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.

1945

March 15-May 15; Kandinsky Memorial Exhibit, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

Kandinsky Memorial Exhibition, Basel Kunsthalle.

Kandinsky Memorial Exhibition, Galerie Eaux Vives, Zurich.