Concerning the Spiritual in Art

Although labeled as Chapter 2 in the Table of Contents, this chapter marks the beginning of the main body of the book. Kandinsky defines one of the core concepts of the book, that of spiritual progress in society as existing in the shape of a multi-sectioned triangle. Kandinsky is concerned here with The Obligations of the Artist: In his view, artists have been given a gift in the form of their imagination and talent, and they, therefore, have an obligation to use that gift to move society forward. Kandinsky’s concept is informed by the Romantic ideal of the artist-hero. In the mythology of the Romantics, the artist is seen as a solitary and poorly understood figure who is set apart from society yet is able to change society through his art.

Kandinsky cites Beethoven as an example of an artist who was misunderstood and even mocked yet possessed superior genius (6). He further compares the solitary artist to the biblical prophet Moses, bringing a higher revelation (“fresh stores of wisdom”) down from the mountains to the people below (8). Kandinsky may have seen himself as to some extent embodying the solitary artist-hero archetype, especially given his championship of an art style—abstraction—that was unpopular with the broader public. Thus, Kandinsky’s “triangle” concept serves to justify his own art in the face of widespread popular rejection of his style.

Kandinsky identifies the problem in the art world as one of deemphasizing the “what” (artistic and spiritual substance) in favor of the “how” (technique). Throughout the book, Kandinsky will argue that abstract art embodies the true substance of art. This is because it omits traditional subject matter entirely—thus obviating the need for a complicated technique for representing objects realistically—and instead deals purely in colors and forms, the basic building blocks of painting.

Kandinsky’s concept of “spiritual progress” reflects a belief—widespread in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—in social progress. The idea that society was in a process of continual, gradual improvement was itself a reflection of the idea of evolution in biological science. At the same time, Kandinsky diverges from scientific views of evolution, arguing that humanity needs to abandon strict scientism and make room for spirituality and belief; this process itself, for Kandinsky, constitutes an evolutionary leap forward for humanity. Kandinsky rejects his era’s almost religious faith in scientific and technological progress while remaining unable to escape the framework of progress, and even the metaphor of evolution, in describing his own ideals.