Murnau, Burggrabenstrasse 1, 1908 1908

Wassily Kandinsky made this vibrant painting of Murnau, Burggrabenstrasse 1, in 1908 with oil on canvas. Look at the way he fearlessly lays down these bold colours, almost like he’s building a puzzle, each piece locking into the next with no blending. You can feel the joy he must have felt in the pure act of painting. The texture here is juicy, with visible brushstrokes that give the whole scene a lively, almost musical rhythm. That glowing yellow street isn’t just a street; it’s a river of light, pulling you right into the heart of the village. Notice how the blues and greens around the edges are not just dark, but alive, vibrating against the brighter hues. This piece reminds me a bit of the Fauvist movement and artists like Henri Matisse, who was also using colour in such a liberating way at the time. Kandinsky takes it a step further, hinting at the abstract direction he would soon fully embrace. It's like he's saying, why just copy reality when you can make something even more exciting?