Famous paintings inspired by music

Music has inspired many world-famous artists and continuesto provide brilliant ideas for artists around the globe. Matisse and Kandinskyare just some of the famous names who have created great works of art inspiredby music, while other artists such as Leonardo, Tintoretto and Giorgione usedmusic in the background to create. Now let's take a look in detail at famouspaintings inspired by music.

Kandinsky and the music of Arnold Schönberg

The Russian painter was a great lover of music, aswell as an artistically profound painter always in search of perfection.Several of his works were created thanks to music and its connection topainting.

One example is “Impression III: Concert”, one ofKandinsky's most famous paintings. Here the painter wanted to convey hisemotions and impressions after attending a concert by the Austrian composerArnold Schönberg on 2 January 1911. The Russian artist was particularly struckby the rapturous music he heard at this concert held in Munich; through this work and others he created, the painter aimed to convey the great bond between music and painting.

To understand how much music inspired this pioneer of abstractionism, one only need to look at the terms he used to describe and name his works: composition, impression, improvisation, etc.

Paul Klee and the works he created based on music

Intersecting music and painting was a natural processfor Paul Klee, an artist who had a background as a violinist. In his works, Klee often conveyed the energy of what he listened to. We are talking above all about classical music, about Bach, a composer he also paid homage to in hisfamous work entitled 'Polyphony'.

Matisse and Mondrian: two lovers of classical music and jazz who brought music to the canvas

Matisse was a lover of classical music but also of jazz. He often gave concerts of Beethoven and Mozart at his home, especially during the winter period, while the harmony and purity of Bach inspired him inhis painting. "Music" or "The Dance" are some of hispaintings inspired by Bach's works.

Piet Mondrian was a painter who appreciated jazz music,especially in his later years. Arriving in New York to escape the war, at theage of 79 Mondrian was still continually excited by music and was an admirer of New York nightlife, as well as a frequent visitor to a club called Minton'sPlayhouse. But Mondrian also liked the most frenetic boogie-woogie and he also dedicated a work to this genre, one of the last by this extraordinary painter. That is "Victory Boogie-Woogie", a painting that unfortunately remained unfinished in which the artist, through the asymmetrical distributionof blocks, yellow lines and small coloured touches, conveys rhythm and liveliness, aspects that characterize this musical genre, but also the night of New York with its thousand lights.

Article by: Aurora Caraman