Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian painter who helped pioneer abstract art. He was originally a lawyer but became interested in art after seeing exhibitions of French Impressionist paintings and a performance of Wagner's opera Lohengrin. These experiences inspired him to pursue a career in visual art. Kandinsky's early works were landscapes but he became famous for his completely abstract paintings that used color and form to express inner feelings and concepts rather than physical objects. He believed that color was key to conveying emotion and meaning in his non-representational works.