Concerning the Spiritual in Art

To conclude the book, Kandinsky comments on the five reproductions of his own paintings included in the text, explaining how they exemplify various possible types of composition and sources of inspiration. The paintings illustrate two types of composition: simple, or melodic; and complex, or symphonic. All art compositions have a “simple inner value” (56) which is similar to a melody in music. Some paintings consist solely of such a simple arrangement of forms. Complex compositions include more complicated arrangements of forms, but often there is a predominating formal scheme that may be difficult to grasp immediately.

The paintings further illustrate three different sources of inspiration: a “direct impression of outward nature,” a “spontaneous expression of inner character,” and an “expression of a slowly formed inner feeling” (57). The third type represents a more conscious and rational form of artistic creation, even though only the feeling behind the idea is apparent to the viewer. Kandinsky states a case that such “reasoned and conscious composition” (57) will dominate the art of the future; it will replace the spontaneous nonchalance of Impressionism and become characteristic of a new age of spiritual leadership.