Author: Wassily Kandinsky, Васи́лий Васи́льевич Канди́нский. Kandinsky was born in Moscow and attended the University of Moscow where he studied law and economics. He began his painting studies at age 30 but was fascinated by art from childhood. He then moved to Munich to pursue his passion for art and painting but retuned to Moscow after the beginning of the first World War. He then moved back to Germany and then on to France where he became a French citizen in 1939.
Context: Du Spirituel dans l’art was written in 1912 right before the beginning of World War I. The world was at a stand still waiting for the spark that would light the fire and bring about war.
Language: He uses simplistic language that would be easy for anyone to read. Kandinsky compares art to life and young life and uses such terms as “child” and “still-born”.
Audience: He seems to be writing to the well versed art world. Even though he writes in a simple style he uses a lot of jargon that most non art enthusiasts would not understand.
Message: He wants to bring to light the lack of the”essential spirt” of nature in art at that time. Every piece of art is a product of its time and culture. He disapproved of artists painting for the money or fame. Art was about divulging the meaning behind the work and to create these works to express ones feelings about life and what goes on in it. Art is about educating and being able to share those personal thoughts with world. He then talks about the spirituality and how it relates, and can be compared to, a triangle.