Kandinsky and the Harmony of Silence : Painting with White Border

Russian artist and theoretician Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was a significant figure in 20th-century abstraction. His masterworkPainting with White Border(1913; Guggenheim Museum), inspired by his native Moscow, emerged during an intensely creative period in his artistic development.Kandinsky and the Harmony of Silence presents a rare, in-depth examination of the painting and more than fifteen preparatory studies in watercolor, oil, and pencil, along with closely related works made during this influential chapter in Kandinsky's career. This handsome book includes essays illuminating howPainting with White Borderalso relates to Kandinsky's writings, includingConcerning the Spiritual in Art(published 100 years ago) and his autobiographyReminiscences. A jointly authored essay by conservators at the Phillips and the Guggenheim presents the results of a recent conservation analysis of the painting and its related oil sketch (1913; The Phillips Collection), revealing important new discoveries about the artist's creative process, materials, and methods.

Elsa Smithgall is curator at The Phillips Collection; Tracey Bashkoff is curator of collections and exhibitions at the Guggenheim Museum; Gillian McMillan is senior conservator at the Guggenheim Museum; and Elizabeth Steele is head of conservation at The Phillips Collection.