Kandinsky’s comments:

Additional definition

1. Mass (Weights)
Colors
in the middle at the bottom – blue (providing cold tone to the whole)
on the right at the top – separated blue, red and yellow
on the left at the top – black interlacing lines of horses
on the right at the bottom – extended lines of lying figures

2. Contrasts
between mass and line
between precision and blur
between line interlacing and color interlacing, and
the main contrast between sharp abrupt movement (battle) and light cold delicate colors

3. Overlapping
of contours by colors.
Only all outlines of the castle are weakened by the sky flowing through its contour.


4. Two centers:
1. Line interlacing
2. A sharp shape modeled by blue
separated from each other by two vertical black lines (lances)


The whole composition is conceived as a very light one, with a great number of delicate tones which often flow into each other (resolution), yellow is also cold. The relation of the light, delicate and cold to the sharp movement (war) makes the main contrast in the picture. Here, in my opinion, this contrast is even stronger as compared to “Composition II” but it is also firmer (internally), more explicit; its advantage is a more accurate impression; the disadvantage is excessive obviousness of this accuracy.

The following elements form the basis:
1. The harmony of calm masses
2. Calm movement of certain parts, mainly to the right and upwards
3. Predominant sharp movement to the left and downwards
4. Contradiction inside both directions (small shapes move to the left inside the rightward movement, etc.)
5. Harmony of masses and simple lying lines
6. Contrast of blurred and contoured forms (i.e. line as just a line and as a contour which sounds like a line itself)
7. Overlapping of shape boundaries by colors
8. Predominance of the sound of colors over the sound of shapes
9. Resolutions

1911 March

All artworks by year

NOBODY: The lines form a female. Starting from the left bottom, eye lashes and then a little bit above to the right are a woman's hands clasped together. Then in the middle are the legs and at the end are toes. Nice painting.

no name please: I love the way all the colors and shapes flow together it makes me feel good!

Juan: It's abstract, so trying to figure out what he's representing is pointless. There's no conection to the physical world whatsoever. Just enjoy it... Or don't.

Gwen : This artwork is beautiful. I actually see a person when I look at this artwork. Kandinsky really was a brilliant man.

Marian Sydney: I decorated my earthenware bowls with sections of this painting....love it.

Logan from US: One low budget video games can look 100 times better than this. Everybody thinks that art is so emotional, but flappybird causes more emotion than this.

ken from Earth: from TATE website:

"Display caption
Kandinsky believed that abstract paintings could convey spiritual and emotional values simply through the arrangement of colours and lines. Cossacks was made during a transitional period, when he retained some representational elements, such as the two Russian cavalrymen in tall orange hats in the foreground of the painting. Kandinsky considered these as points at which the images could be registered, rather than the true content of the painting."

also: https://www.wassilykandinsky.net/work-250.php

BOB from Wonderland: OMG! someone explain what the painting means?

pizza from loco: I love it... beautiful

N/A: Very abstract indeed

lindy from timbuktu: very beautiful painting oh yes.

Niall Horan from Mullingar wey hey: This picture makes me feel awesome. XD
hehehehehe

Charlotte from Frasnce: I love this pic i wamma marry it

Hi from By: RAINBOW!!!!!!

N/A from N/A: Great pic looks nice and all but what... is it?

? from ?: THIS MAKES NO SENSE, but it looks pretty nice anyway... I just don't see the picture.