Clear Air

Wassily Kandinsky's 'Clear Air' (1901) is an early landscape subject that suggests his interest in the specific atmospheric quality of the Alpine or northern European clear day — the particular luminous clarity of the air on days when the atmosphere was free of moisture and haze, creating a quality of light that intensified colors and sharpened forms. His engagement with atmospheric conditions in his early landscapes reflected his developing sensitivity to light and color as expressive elements.

Kandinsky renders the clear air landscape with his early decorative approach — the landscape depicted under the specific atmospheric conditions of the clear day, with the intensified color and sharpened forms that this atmospheric quality produced. His handling already shows his preference for bold color and clear formal organization over atmospheric dissolution. The specific quality of the clear atmospheric light creates the composition's primary visual character.