Improvisation 20 (Two Horses)
Painting on canvas • Wassily Kandinsky
Style & Movement
Expressionism / Early Abstraction (Der Blaue Reiter movement)
Medium & Technique
Oil on canvas; employing expressive, gestural brushwork, saturated color patches, and lyrical abstraction techniques with visible thick applications and slight blurring of forms.
Creation Period
1911
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 94.5 x 108 cm; Square-ish landscape format
Subject Description
The painting depicts two stylized horses in a landscape, though the forms are highly abstracted and dissolving into color and movement. It utilizes spiritual and rhythmic energies through hues of blue, red, and yellow, reflecting Kandinsky's theories on synesthesia and the spiritual in art.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent/Very Good; the work appears stable with vibrant pigment retention and original texture preserved.
Estimated Market Value
$30,000,000 - $50,000,000 (Based on the rarity of early 'Improvisation' series works)
Auction Estimate
$25,000,000 - $40,000,000
Provenance History
Formerly in the collection of Alexei Jawlensky; now part of the collection at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. Likely moved through major European collections before Soviet nationalization.
Art Historical Significance
A pivotal work in the transition from figurative representation to pure abstraction. It belongs to Kandinsky’s famous 'Improvisations' series, which sought to express internal feelings through spontaneous, non-representational forms, marking a revolution in 20th-century modernism.
Notable Features
Features the recurring motif of the horse and rider, which was the central symbol for the 'Blue Rider' group. This specific piece demonstrates the 'dissolving' of the object where line and color begin to function independently.
Condition Issues
Minor age-related craquelure and slight yellowing of varnish consistent with a century-old oil painting. No significant paint loss or structural damage visible.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain strictly controlled humidity (50%) and temperature (20°C). UV-filtered lighting and professional monitoring for varnish oxidation are recommended.