The Blue Rider (Kandinsky)

The Blue Rider (German: Der Blaue Reiter) is a 1903 oil painting by Wassily Kandinsky. The work depicts a rider in a blue cloak riding on a white horse through a meadow, with a forest in the background. The painting uses bright colors, repetition of shapes and short brush strokes creating a sense of motion.

The painting contains elements of many different art movements and it marks Kandinsky's transition from figurative art to abstraction. Interpretations of the painting suggest a heavy use of symbolism; for example, critics associate the rider with Saint George, and that he is fighting the dragon of materialism.

The Blue Rider may have inspired the name of the art group and almanac, Der Blaue Reiter. Both founded by Kandinsky in collaboration with Franz Marc. This movement played a key role in the development of abstract art.