Day of procedures

Kandinsky, Reciprocal Accords, 1942

It was time for some paperwork and procedures all morning. It seemed like I would not be done with it until midday, but I actually did: I was attended quickly and by 11 I was already free. Guess what I did during the rest of the day. Of course, visit some exhibitions!

Bonnard, The open window, 1921

I would have not missed for anything on this world the exhibition of Bonnard in Fundación Mapfre. He is an author that intrigues me: I would like to research further about him, but I never have time enough. Having so many of his works together, it was a good chance to drown in his world. As always, Fundación Mapfre didn’t disappoint. It was crowded, but not too much, so I could admire the paintings properly.

Bonnard, The Bernheim-Jeune
Brothers, 1920 (Image:
bernheim-jeune.com)

His colors are fascinating and his interieurs are so mysterious and intimate (despite the colorfulness). It’s a shame that none of the reproductions gets to reflect the strength of all his colors. I’ll have to say that his use of viridian impressed me, since he uses it in shadows, reflections, not only in landscapes, but also in human figures. He uses very bright colors, enhanced by the use of their complementaries, especially the duo orange-blue. And what a blue! Look at the sky’s blue that’s visible from the Bernheim-Jeune brothers’ windows! 

Bonnard, Nude in an interior, 1935
(Image: National Gallery of
Washington)

He is a master of composition: the still lives’ objects are located rhythmically; the figure fragmentation and the way the canvas is divided are a proof, undoubtedly, of the influence oriental composition had on him (look at this painting…)

Bonnard, The chekered
blouse, 1892

Mirrors strengthen that sensation of intimacy in his interieurs, that includes us, as viewers, in that reflection. I was always surprised by his checkered clothes, flat clothes, that do not follow the bodies’ shape.

Kandinsky, Thirty, 1937 (Image: Wikipedia)

And since I was close enough (but only after eating, let’s not have a Stendhal Syndrome out of so much art contemplation), I went to enjoy some of Kandinsky’s works at Cibeles Palace. Kandinsky is always Kandinsky. It’s key to understand nowadays’ art and all its -isms. These works were donated by Nina, artist’s widow, to Centre Pompidou, and most of the most significant ones were taken there. I knew some of them already, I had seen them in other exhibitions. My only critic is that entrance fee was a bit too expensive.

Kandinsky, Ancient Russia, 1904

What could I tell you about what I saw of Kandinsky? The exhibition goes through every stage of his creation, and we can follow his evolution. There are examples of his first works, inspired in Russian folklore, with dark backgrounds, and accurate and diminutive brushstrokes.

Kandinsky, Black Grid, 1922

I stopped to see his abstractions, between them Improvisation 3, Black grid, In grey and Yellow, red and blue, patent example of his research in Bauhaus. Thirty drew my attention, it’s composed by 30 black and white squares: it’s nothing but a checkered canvas, but this pattern appears in other of his paintings.

Kandinsky, Blue Sky, 1940

By this time of the day, I was already really tired, and I had to sit to look at the last paintings: Blue Sky, that for its crustacean figures, it looks more like a sea than a sky, Reciprocal Accords, in which he reaches the synthesis of his style, with a well structured composition and minimal shapes, perfectly balanced with the shapes in the space. And Colorful Ensemble: thousands of tiny circles inside a dark shape. This one made me remember those tiny paintings of his beginnings in Russia, with tiny colorful brushstrokes, that I had seen by the beginning of my day… Was this for a Kandinsky a trip to his roots?

Kandinsky, Colorful Ensemble,
1938

Enough art for today.

“Bonnard”, Fundación Mapfre, Sala Recoletos, Madrid, until 10th January 2016

“Kandinsky: una retrospectiva”,Centrocentro Cibeles, Madrid: until 28th February 2016

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