Kandinsky begins by affirming that “art is the child of its age” (2) and reflects the ideals of the historical period in which it is made. For this reason, it is pointless for artists today to imitate the art of another era. Nevertheless, one period may feel a “similarity of ideals” (1) to another, which will lead artists to revive the “external forms” of that earlier period. An example is the “sympathy” and “spiritual relationship” that early-20th-century artists feel toward artists of the “primitive” era.

However, the dominance of materialism—characterized by Kandinsky as “the despair of unbelief” and “lack of purpose and ideal” (2)—over thought in the recent past is acting as an obstacle to reviving the ideals of “primitive” art. The ideal of “art for art’s sake” (4) translates, in Kandinsky’s view, to art without purpose. Art lovers look only for an “imitation of nature” (2) in works of art; “inner meanings” are neglected by both artists and viewers. Artists under the grip of materialism are only interested in satisfying “vanity” and “greed” by excelling in a technical sense and competing with their fellow artists.

Kandinsky argues that, to break out of the trap of materialism, art must not only reflect the culture of its time but also awaken to the “spiritual life,” which he defines as a form of perception that remains the same across cultures and eras.