Kandinsky was part of the group called “Der Blaue Reiter” or The Blue Rider created in 1911. Members of this group shared an interest in abstracted forms and prismatic colors. The “Der Blaue Reiter” group also included artists such as Franz Marc, Gabriele Munter, August Macke and Heinrich Campendonk. The artists of the group were looking for art to perform a spiritual function in society. The Blue Rider moved towards abstraction in art; art without a subject was an utterly revolutionary idea of the time. They chose the color blue because it symbolized purity, spirituality and divinity. The Blue Rider movement was one of the boldest and most fruitful attempts to free European paintings from naturalism and the academic standards (Brion, 13).
