Aspects of the relationship between Music and Painting and their influence on Schoenberg and Kandinsky

Abstract

Without any intention of comprehensiveness, this research discusses a few of the directions where the relationship between music and painting manifested itself at the beginning of the 20th century, with special reference to the works of Wassily Kandinsky and Arnold Schoenberg. During their epoch of creation, they witnessed the incessant tension between classic and modern, old and new, between tradition and innovation, but one could notice their aspiration towards an impersonal and conventional music, towards rationalism, objectivity and constructivism. Both of these artists, endowed with “dual artistic gifts”, are supporters of Modernism and share the passion for artistic unity. The simultaneous discovery of the atonal music for Schoenberg and of the abstract art for Kandinsky is revealed through their long lasting friendship. While Schoenberg painted, exploring with self-portrait and exposing his works together with famous painters, Kandinsky, fascinated with the emotional power of music, played the cello and the piano as a talented musician, seeking the analogies between colour and sound.