Murnau, Burggrabenstrasse 1, 1908 1908

Kandinsky made this painting of Murnau, Burggrabenstrasse with oil paints in 1908. It is a street of colored blocks and lines, a dance of yellows, pinks, greens and blues. Imagine Kandinsky outside, squinting in the sun, trying to capture the feeling of light on the buildings. The painting seems to be built up of intuitive marks that almost feel like musical notations. A stroke here, a dab there, each one vibrating with color, making a street into a symphony. It reminds me of the Fauves, but it's like he’s pushing it even further, closer to pure feeling. What I love about this work is how Kandinsky balances representation and abstraction. You can recognize the buildings and the street, but they're transformed by his vibrant color and energetic brushwork. It’s like he’s not just painting what he sees, but how it feels to be there.