ABRIKOSOV CHOCOLATE 1901

Wassily Kandinsky made this advertising poster, using graphic design and illustration. Look at the way he's approached the colour palette, it’s so bold and expressive, almost Fauvist in its defiance of naturalism. The surface texture feels quite flat and graphic, with solid blocks of colour and strong outlines defining the forms. See that fiery orange cloak, how it contrasts with the cool blues and greys of the cityscape, creating a sense of drama and excitement. Then there’s that striking red, it anchors the image, pulling our eye up and across the composition. Kandinsky’s got this real talent for making colours sing together. The process feels immediate, not overworked, like he’s trying to capture a feeling more than a likeness. You can see echoes of Art Nouveau in this poster, with its emphasis on decorative patterns and flowing lines. It also anticipates some of the bold graphic experiments of Russian Constructivism that would come later. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation with itself, always riffing on what came before, and imagining what might come next.