NICHOLAS MULROY

Iabsolutely love the colours in this pic, where Kandinsky is on his way to the full abstraction we saw in the Circles: the houses are recognisable, but the incandescent serenity of the colours and the melting contours of the street reflect something more sensory and sensual. He and Gabriela Münter lived here for a couple of years and this is typical of his whole, wonderful Murnau series (check ‘em out). The harmony of the flaming bright yellows and pinks with the ominously lengthening shadows and the deep-blue evening sky seems intensely musical, and the whole picture seems to reflect a deep feel for its warm air, and a rich chromatic sonority. This extraordinary encounter of something everyday and recognisable with such imaginative spirituality shows Kandinsky seeing not only with his eyes, but also with his entire heart and soul.