Railway near Murnau by Wassily Kandinsky, 1909

Railway near Murnau (1909) by Wassily Kandinsky captures a pivotal moment in the artist’s development during his years in southern Germany. Painted on the cusp of his move from representational landscape to bold, emotive abstraction, the work fuses a pastoral Bavarian view with the stark geometry of a passing train. Rather than recording the scene naturalistically, Kandinsky heightens rhythm and mood, distilling countryside and rail line into vibrating planes of color and form that speak to the early 20th century’s collision of nature and modernity.

Offered here as a museum-quality fine art print from The Unique Maps Co., this piece is available on acid-free archival paper or artist’s cotton canvas. Choose from a range of sizes to suit your space, with optional framing to arrive ready to hang. Personalization and customization are available—select finishes, add a gift note, or request bespoke sizing to create a piece perfectly tailored to your home or office.

Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) is celebrated as a pioneer of modern art and a leading voice of Expressionism. In the years surrounding 1909, while living and working near Murnau am Staffelsee, he began to translate landscape into energized color harmonies and simplified shapes—a transformation that would soon lead to the groundbreaking ideas of Der Blaue Reiter. Railway near Murnau belongs to this fertile period, when the artist’s fascination with the emotional power of color and form started to take precedence over literal depiction.

The subject itself—railway cutting across a rural vista—embodies the era’s dynamic changes. Kandinsky treats the train as a dark, compact silhouette, a sign of technological progress thrust into an organic world of hills and fields. The result is not an industrial study but a meditation on movement, transition, and the way modern life reframes our experience of the natural landscape. It’s an image as psychologically charged as it is visually striking.

Color and brushwork are the stars here. Dominant greens and blues set a cool, expansive ground, while accents of vibrant orange and passages of deep black generate crisp contrasts and a sense of momentum. Thick, expressive strokes lend immediacy and texture; organic swells of land push against the train’s solid geometry, creating a compelling push–pull that keeps the eye in motion. It’s this tension—between softness and structure, emotion and outline—that makes the work such a powerful anchor for contemporary interiors.

A timeless choice for lovers of modern art, German Expressionism, and design-forward spaces, this print makes a thoughtful gift for birthdays, housewarmings, anniversaries, Mother’s or Father’s Day, Christmas, or for anyone recently returned from travels in Bavaria or Munich. Railway near Murnau invites daily contemplation—of color, cadence, and the exhilarating energy of a world on the move.

If you're not sure what size to order, or you're looking for a custom order of some kind – a different size, a different colour, a special frame – then please contact me. I usually respond within a few minutes.

You can see an example of my fine art personalisation service in the fifth image. Zoom in and take a look. My personalised artwork is always very well received. Take a look at more examples of personalisation.

You can also choose to age your art print to make it look older. This is popular amongst my customers who want their artwork to look like an older, antique print. You can see an example of ageing in the sixth product image, or go ahead and check out lots of examples of other aged artwork.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

I can print and frame this beautiful piece of art at sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). If you are looking for a size or framing option that isn't available online, please get in touch.

This artwork is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. My standard frames come in six colours (black, dark brown, dark grey, antique gold, oak and white), and custom framing is available for an additional charge. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.