Russian painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky (1886 – 1944) is considered a leader in avant-garde art and a pioneer of abstract art. Kandinsky was a lawyer who at age 30 was so inspired by the French Impressionists movement that he left his law career, moved to Munich, and devoted himself to art. Kandinsky was a trained musician and experienced the neurological phenomenon synesthesia, meaning he saw colors when hearing music. His artworks often featured the idea of music and he named many works after musical terms. He felt art had the potential to evoke powerful psychological, physical, and emotional responses, which is considered the first theoretical foundation of abstraction.
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