Gabriele Munter 1905

This is Wassily Kandinsky’s portrait of Gabriele Munter, painted with oil on canvas. I can just imagine Kandinsky in the studio, circling, considering, brush in hand, trying to capture the essence of his muse. See how the paint is applied in visible strokes, especially in the background, almost like dark purple rain, giving depth and movement to the picture. And that beautiful, slightly awkward bow at her neck – it’s rendered with such tenderness. I wonder what it was like for Gabriele to sit for this portrait, maybe contemplating their shared artistic journey, the push and pull of their creative partnership. Kandinsky's work here makes me think about Paula Modersohn-Becker who made similarly intimate portraits of the people close to her. You know, all of us painters are in an ongoing conversation, building on each other's work, trying to say something new with the same old materials. It’s about capturing a feeling, an idea, a moment in time, and letting the painting speak in its own language, a language that is both deeply personal and universally understood.