Artwork
Lancer in Landscape
Lancer in Landscape is an oil painting by Wassily Kandinsky. It dates from 1908 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1908, *Lancer in Landscape* is an oil painting by Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky. The work belongs to the collection of Kunsthaus Zürich and depicts a cavalry figure within a vivid natural setting.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a mounted lancer, clothed in red and green, astride a yellow horse and holding a spear aloft. Flanking the rider, two standing figures frame the scene, suggesting narrative depth and a moment of imminent motion.
Technique & Style
Kandinsky employs a bright palette of blues, greens, pinks and yellows, allowing colors to intermingle and convey a sense of kinetic energy. The brushwork emphasizes fluid transitions, reinforcing the dynamic atmosphere of the landscape.
History & Provenance
At the time of its execution Kandinsky was residing in Germany, having studied under Anton Ažbe and at the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. The painting later entered the holdings of Kunsthaus Zürich, where it remains on view.
Context
The work emerges from the late Belle Époque period, a time when European art was transitioning toward modernist experimentation. Kandinsky’s early output, including this piece, reflects conventional genre subjects before his later abstract developments.
Artist & collection
Artist
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky (16 December 1866 – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter and art theorist active in Germany during the late Belle Époque and Interwar eras.
