Kandinsky is remarkably frank in this autobiographical text as he weaves together memories of his childhood, his Munich experiences and thoughtful reflections on art. Whether recounting a favorite childhood toy, his first encounter with Impressionist canvases at exhibitions in Moscow, or a passage on his favorite topic — the objective versus the abstract in art — the result is not merely a book, but a heart-to-heart conversation. Reading Retrospect, one seems to comprehend vividly the luminous facets of the artist's soul.

The narrative is non-linear; it unfolds like a stream: reminiscences of the expedition to the Vologda Governorate, where the young artist perceives the colorful everyday life of the Zyryans as a literal immersion into a work of art: “art surrounded me, and I entered into it”; reflections on how the power born of innermost necessity compels content to subordinate form, and spirit to subordinate matter; reflections on his gradual realization that subject matter is not a necessary component of his art; a painstaking search for his new artistic language; his walks with a sketchbook around Munich, where he learned to be an artist: to see nature, feel colors, and listen to his own soul — learning first and foremost from himself.

READ "Rückblicke" (original German text)

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