Rapallo Grauer day 1905

Kandinsky made "Rapallo Grauer day" with oil on cardboard, in that lovely, loose style of his. Look at those brushstrokes. Short, choppy, and full of energy, like he's wrestling with the paint. It's so physical, you can almost feel the push and pull of his hand as he built up the image, area by area. The colour palette is predominantly cool, a mix of blues and greens, but there are touches of warmth – little daubs of orange and yellow. The lower left corner of the piece is particularly evocative. The reflected light in the water looks like scattered confetti on the sea, adding a celebratory tone. It reminds me of the watercolours of Emil Nolde, they both have that kind of direct, unpretentious approach to painting. Both embrace ambiguity, and the joy of the unexpected mark.