Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky Vasil'evič Kandinskij; 4 December 1866 – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter, and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first modern abstract works.
Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow and chose to study law and economics. Quite successful in his profession — he was offered a professorship (chair of Roman Law) at the University of Dorpat — he started painting studies (life-drawing, sketching and anatomy) at the age of 30.
