Description
Black Forms on White is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1934: on a black ground, a very large white form contains black blobs, dots and hooks, and smaller white circles, rings and rounded shapes fill the space around it. The original belongs to the Musée Zervos. We make it as a hand-painted reproduction in oil on canvas, in eight sizes or made to measure, and before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve.
| Title: | Black Forms on White |
| Other titles: | Schwarze Formen auf Weiß |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1934 |
| Original size: | 70.4 cm x 70.2 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | eight sizes from 60 x 60 cm to 180 x 180 cm |
| Location: | Musée Zervos (inv. no. MZ 134) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Black Forms on White – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is deep black, and all the forms on it are white, with smooth, rounded outlines. A very large white form, roughly like a tilted egg, fills most of the centre; on its right, a curved black channel separates it from a second white form that bends around it like a hook. Inside the large form lie black shapes of different kinds. At the top is a large black blob with short drips hanging from its lower edge, and on the left a curved black form with small bumps. In the middle, a small black dot stands above a black splash with many short arms, to its right is a large black circle, and further right a black form curls like a hook. Small black dots and a black bean shape are scattered between them, and black bays cut into the lower edge of the white form. Around it, smaller white forms fill the black ground up to the edges. Along the top are a white bean shape, a white circle and an elongated form with a fringe of short drips, and on the left white circles and rings stand one above another. At the lower left a wavy white strand rises beside a small form with short arms, and along the bottom larger white forms show black dots and short strokes.
Black and white swapping roles
The composition rests on the play between black and white. The large central form gathers the eye, while the many small forms around it keep leading it out towards the edges and back again. Black and white constantly swap roles: outside, black is the ground, yet inside the large form it becomes the colour of the shapes, and white works the other way round. The soft, rounded outlines give the whole a lively, almost organic rhythm, and the repeated circles, drips and hooks link the centre with the edges. No two of the larger forms are alike, and yet all share the same smooth outline. On the wall the painting therefore looks bold and graphic, and even without colour it keeps the eye busy for a long time.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1934. The original is 70.2 cm high and 70.4 cm wide and belongs to the Musée Zervos (inv. no. MZ 134). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 70.4 x 70.2 cm here. Our painter works from a public-domain photograph of the original, so the subject can be carried faithfully onto the canvas, from the arrangement of the forms to the individual shades of colour.
How is our hand-painted version made?
The painter works from a high-resolution reference and builds the painting up in layers, with brush and oil paint. First the arrangement of the main forms is sketched in thin paint, then the colours go on layer by layer, from the large areas down to the smallest details. The edges of the forms and the transitions between colours are compared with the reference until the proportions match. An oil painting reproduction keeps its colours for many years, because oil does not fade the way a print does. Since every reproduction is made individually, no two copies match down to the last detail; the subject, the proportions and the colours do. Depending on the size, painting takes several days, and the paint then needs enough time to dry before the canvas is packed.
Hand-painted, not printed
You can see the difference between a print and a hand-painted canvas as soon as you look at the work from the side: the brushstrokes form a slight relief that shows in raking light and can be felt with the fingertips. Whether it is a landscape, a figurative subject or an abstract painting, every shade is mixed on the palette and applied by hand. Before dispatch we photograph the finished work and send you the photograph to approve, so you know exactly what you will receive. Only when you are happy does it go on its way. Small irregularities in the brushwork are not flaws but the trace of the hand that painted it, and they are exactly what makes each copy one of a kind.
Which interior suits it?
The dark ground gives the painting great strength, so it needs a calm, light wall on which it can really glow. It suits a modern room with white or light grey walls best; next to other dark works on the same wall it would lose its force. Hang it with its centre at about eye level, roughly 150 cm from the floor; above a sofa or sideboard, leave a gap of 20 to 30 cm. In a bedroom a medium size above the bed works well, and in a hallway or on a narrow wall a smaller size hung at eye level.
Which size for which wall?
As a painting for the living room it works best at 90 x 90 and 100 x 100 cm, where the details come into their own. The 60 x 60 and 70 x 70 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 110 x 110, 130 x 130, 150 x 150 and 180 x 180 cm a large wall above a sofa or in an entrance hall. All eight sizes are listed in the size selector; the price depends on the size you choose. A simple rule helps: above a sofa or a sideboard the painting looks best at about two thirds of the furniture’s width, and on an empty wall choose a size that leaves at least 30 to 40 cm of free wall on each side.
Custom sizes, stretcher and frame
If none of the sizes fits your wall, we paint this Kandinsky reproduction to your measurements; that is our painting made to measure, and we tell you how the composition adapts to the new proportions. Every canvas is stretched on a wooden stretcher. A frame is optional and not included in the base price. If you would like a frame, the best choice for this work is a narrow black or dark wooden frame, because it continues the dark ground, while a wide, ornate gold frame would compete with the colours in the centre.
Delivery and guarantee
Because every painting on canvas is painted only after you order, in our studio, allow 15 to 45 days depending on the size you choose. We ship protected, insured and tracked, within the EU without customs. If anything is wrong on arrival, get in touch and we will put it right. All our works by Kandinsky are collected in the Wassily Kandinsky gallery, and the painter is introduced in our article about Wassily Kandinsky. Related works we paint include Red Spot II, White Cross and Succession.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the original?
It belongs to the Musée Zervos (inv. no. MZ 134). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 70.4 x 70.2 cm. We give the width first; the height is 70.2 cm. Our largest size is 180 x 180 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1934.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: a very large white form with black blobs, dots and hooks inside it on a black ground, surrounded by smaller white circles, rings, drips and rounded shapes.
Is this a print?
No. It is a canvas painting, painted by hand in oil; the brushstrokes show in raking light and can be felt with the fingertips.
Which size should I choose?
For a living room 90 x 90 and 100 x 100 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 60 x 60 and 70 x 70 cm. Before deciding, tape a sheet of paper of the chosen size to the wall and leave it there for a day.
Can I have a size that is not on the list?
Yes. We also paint sizes outside the list and tell you how the forms will be arranged.
How is it delivered?
Insured and tracked, within the EU without customs. Before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished painting to approve.
How do I care for the painting?
Remove dust with a soft, dry brush or cloth, without water or cleaning agents. Hang the painting away from direct sun, radiators and damp, and it will keep its colours for many years.
Is the original for sale, and what is it worth?
It is not for sale and has no market price. It belongs to a museum collection and stays there; what we offer is a hand-painted copy, not the original, and we never confuse the two.
Is the painting suitable as a gift?
Yes, especially for someone who loves Kandinsky’s forms and colours. If you are unsure about the subject or the size, there is a gift voucher, and the choice stays with the person who receives it.
- Subject: a large white form with black blobs and hooks on a black ground, ringed by small white shapes
- Original: Musée Zervos, 1934, 70.4 x 70.2 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, eight sizes from 60 x 60 to 180 x 180 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
