--- title: Top 10 Paintings | 'Composition VII' by Wassily Kandinsky description: "Flame Tree Art of Fine Gifts: In this blog post we explore Wassily Kandsinsky's 'Composition VII', putting the painting into context and exploring its meaning." image: https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hubfs/composition-vii-1913.jpg --- - [Home](https://info.flametreepublishing.com/blog) | - [ Contact & About Us](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/contact-us) T H E   F L A M E   T R E E   B L O G ![Hubspot_Header_Layers-2.jpg](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hubfs/Hubspot_Header_Layers-2.jpg "Hubspot_Header_Layers-2.jpg") # Visual & Decorative Arts Blog # Top 10 Paintings | 'Composition VII' by Wassily Kandinsky Posted by [Josie Mitchell](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/author/josie-mitchell) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![composition-vii-1913.jpg](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/composition-vii-1913.jpg?width=706&height=471&name=composition-vii-1913.jpg) Known for creating one of the first abstract paintings, Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) spent his life **experimenting** with his artistic talent. With *Composition VII* (1913) Kandinsky tried to capture the **feeling of hearing music **using a cacophony of form and colour that make a truly distinct style. It is considered to be one of his most recognisable and successful works. ### ![wassily-kandinsky.jpgPortrait.jpg](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/hubfs/wassily-kandinsky.jpgPortrait.jpg?width=178&name=wassily-kandinsky.jpgPortrait.jpg "wassily-kandinsky.jpgPortrait.jpg")Abstraction The most fully developed of all Kandinsky’s ‘abstract’ paintings at this time were his ‘Compositions’, large-scale works intended by the artist as his most complete works and as the **centrepieces of exhibitions**. His *Composition VI *and *Composition VII* are the **culmination of this innovative period** in which he was moving towards Abstraction. There are many preliminary drawings and sketches for these paintings that demonstrate the **complexity** of the work. ### Exhibitions Kandinsky chose to exhibit *Composition VI* at the Erster Deutscher Herbstsalon in Berlin in September 1913, an important forum for progressive artists based on the successful Salon d’Automne in Paris. His friends from Der Blaue Reiter, Auguste Macke (1887–1914) and **Franz Marc** (1880–1916), also exhibited their work. The exhibition contained works by, and was dedicated to the memory of, the French naive artist **Henri Rousseau** (born in 1844), who had died in 1910. This truly** international exhibition** also exhibited works by other members of the avant-garde including Fernand Léger (1881–1955) and Jean Metzinger (1883–1956), and the Italian Futurists **Umberto Boccioni** (1882–1916) and Gino Severini (1883–1966).  Kandinsky’s work was also represented at another landmark exhibition in 1913 with an international flavour, the **Armoury Show** in New York. ### Key Information Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 198 x 302 cm (78 x 119 in) Location: The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow  **Check out all of the** **Top 10 Paintings blog posts!** - Top 10 Paintings | 1 | [*The Kiss* by Gustav Klimt](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-the-kiss-by-gustav-klimt) - Top 10 Paintings | 2 | [*Composition VII* by Wassily Kandinsky](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-composition-vii-by-wassily-kandinsky) - Top 10 Paintings | 3 |[*In the Well of the Great Wave of Kanagawa* by Katsushika Hokusai](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-in-the-well-of-the-great-wave-of-kanagawa-by-katsushika-hokusai) - Top 10 Paintings | 4 | [*Starry Night Over the Rh**ô**ne* by Vincent Van Gogh](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-starry-night-over-the-rh%C3%B4ne-by-vincent-van-gogh) - Top 10 Paintings | 5 | [*The Scream* by Edvard Munch](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-the-scream-by-edvard-munch) - Top 10 Paintings | 6 | [*Fighting Temeraire *by J.M.W. Turner](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-fighting-temeraire-by-j.m.w.-turner) - Top 10 Paintings | 7 | [*The Persistence of Memory* by Salvador Dali](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-the-persistence-of-memory-by-salvador-dal%C3%AD) - Top 10 Paintings | 8 | [*Nighthawks* by Edward Hopper](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-nighthawks-by-edward-hopper) - Top 10 Paintings | 9 | [*Water Lillies *by Claude Monet](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-water-lilies-by-claude-monet) - Top 10 Paintings | 10 | [*Ophelia* by Sir John Everett Millais](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/top-10-paintings-ophelia-by-sir-john-everett-millais) If you love this incredible abstract masterpiece, then do take a look at our beautiful hardback book *[Wassily Kandinsky Masterpieces of Art](http://flametreepublishing.com/Wassily-Kandinsky-Masterpieces-of-Art.html)* to get more information about Kandinsky's life and works. Alternatively, our [Kandinsky wall calendar 2017](http://flametreepublishing.com/Wassily-Kandinsky-wall-calendar-2017-Art-calendar.html) showcases an amazing selection of his artworks. Topics: [Wassily Kandinsky](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/topic/wassily-kandinsky), [abstract art](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/art-of-fine-gifts/topic/abstract-art) ### Subscribe for email updates ### FREE Download [![FREE online magazine here](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/293166/284b0214-b58c-42d7-acb5-91f1fcd82c9c.png)](http://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/293166/284b0214-b58c-42d7-acb5-91f1fcd82c9c) Download a digital magazine, Flame Tree Arts, with a special edition on **Art Deco.** ****![Flame Tree Arts Mag 01 cover resized 171](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/file-247369099-jpg/images/flame-tree-arts-mag-01-cover-resized-171.jpg) ### About us *The Art of Fine Gifts: *from luxury notebooks, foiled journals, art calendars, iphone cases, books and illustrated ebooks FLAME TREE Combines beautiful detail and exquisite craftsmanship across a range of elegant gifts. ![FLAME-TREE-Hubspot-Head.gif](https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/hs-fs/hub/293166/file-398222920.gif?width=251&height=354&name=file-398222920.gif "FLAME-TREE-Hubspot-Head.gif") ### Stay up to date: ### Subscribe by Email ### Posts by category - 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