Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky (born December 16, 1866, died December 13, 1944) was a Russian painter, graphic artist, and art theorist who also lived and worked in Germany and France. Together with Franz Marc, he co-founded the editorial group Der Blaue Reiter, which opened its first exhibition in Munich on December 18, 1911. Kandinsky was an artist of Expressionism and one of the pioneers of abstract art. He is frequently cited, according to his own statements, as the creator of the first abstract painting in the world.