The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
Pick of the Picture Books: Kandinsky, edited by Helmut Friedel and Annegret Hoberg
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Weighing in at nearly a stone, this beautifully-produced, massive collection of Kandinsky scholarship is one of the most weighty books about the author ever published, the result of years of work by the world's foremost experts.
Kandinsky, edited by Helmut Friedel and Annegret Hoberg (Prestel, £99, with a facsimile of the portfolio of 12 prints Kleine Welten) is a collection of essays by scholars who love the artist, along with some of the finest reproductions of what Kandinsky himself called his "muddle of masses, flecks and lines". Photographs and documentary sources, many of them previously unpublished, add surprises to the story of his life and work. Reinhard Spieler's essay contests the received wisdom that Kandinsky was a recluse during his early years in Paris. Noemi Smolie's chapter documents his Russian years. The book follows Prestel's epics on Botticelli and Klimt, and coincides with a world tour of his paintings. Tate Modern's show of his work was the most visited in 2006. "The reason you can see Kandinsky in hotel rooms everywhere," says Hoberg, "is because he has a universality in his painterly language – people understand it."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments