Moonlight night 1907

Wassily Kandinsky created this tempera on cardboard, Moonlight Night, sometime in the early 1900s. Kandinsky’s early work was deeply influenced by folk art, particularly Russian, and Bavarian examples. Tempera, made from pigment mixed with egg yolk, was a traditional medium and often connected with icon painting. The use of humble cardboard as a support further reflects the influence of these forms, which operated well outside the canon of fine art. Yet, Kandinsky's choice of materials and approach to painting reflects his desire to synthesize the sensibilities of both traditional folk art and avant-garde abstraction. The layers of color, applied with expressive brushwork, give the painting a tactile quality that emphasizes the artist's hand, his labour. This aesthetic choice elevates the visual experience of the materials, drawing attention to the means of production. Kandinsky’s practice suggests how artists have mined vernacular forms for new possibilities, and it challenges us to look beyond conventional hierarchies of art and craft.