Why do historians question the 1910 date of Wassily Kandinsky’s First Abstract Watercolour?

Historians question the 1910 date of Wassily Kandinsky’s First Abstract Watercolour based on research conducted in the 1950s, which suggests the work was created at a later time.1

Rather than being the definitive first instance of abstract art, evidence indicates that the piece should be regarded as a study for his 1913 work, Composition VII. While the painting is often cited to support Kandinsky’s claim to historical priority in nonfigurative painting, scholars view it as merely one incident in a broader, gradual evolution toward abstraction rather than a singular breakthrough moment. By 1910, Kandinsky had already produced other works, such as Improvisation XIV, that were already practically abstract, demonstrating that his transition away from figurative art was a progressive development rather than an instantaneous event.1