Description
Decisive Rose is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1932: on a pale yellow ground a tall black spike rises through a pink rectangle, surrounded by triangles, a large black arch, a chequered form, smaller arcs and short black bars. The original belongs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. 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: | Decisive Rose |
| Other titles: | Entscheidendes Rosa |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1932 |
| Original size: | 100 cm x 81 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | eight sizes from 50 x 40 cm to 150 x 120 cm |
| Location: | Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 49.1178) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Decisive Rose – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is a pale, faintly greenish yellow, and every form is edged by a darker yellow halo. Left of centre lies a large pink rectangle with small white and grey squares. A tall black spike rises from a grey triangle near the bottom edge through the rectangle and ends above it in a black triangle. On the pink area a black triangle with white stripes points upwards, and below it a grey bow of two triangles lies in a black frame. At the lower left corner of the rectangle is a circle, half pink and half dark maroon. At the upper left a small black triangle stands on a pink form, and lower on the left are a pale blue circle, a black bowl and a grey triangle pointing down. In the upper middle a large black arch curves over a chequered form on grey triangles with two black legs, and a turquoise triangle stands above the arch. To the right are a grey triangle with a black tip, a yellow rectangle and a long black bar. Along the right edge runs a column of short black bars, and below them lie several smaller black arcs and a grey half circle. Below the centre two dark triangles point downwards, with a pale blue circle between them.
The tall black spike
The tall black spike is the axis of the composition: it cuts through the pink rectangle and leads the eye from the bottom edge to the top. Around it the other forms are spread widely over the pale ground, each with open space around it. Sharp triangles pointing up and down are balanced by curves, the large black arch, the bowl and the smaller arcs. The pink rectangle is the only large warm area and gives the left half its weight, while the right half is lighter and made of small separate signs. The short bars along the right edge answer the long vertical of the spike. The darker halos make every form stand out clearly. On the wall the painting therefore looks light, airy and precisely balanced.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1932. The original is 81 cm high and 100 cm wide and belongs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 49.1178). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 100 x 81 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 painting is light in tone, so it suits a modern or minimalist room with white or light grey walls best, where it becomes the one strong accent. It also works in a study; next to a very busy wallpaper it would be lost. 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 70 x 60 and 90 x 70 cm, where the details come into their own. The 50 x 40 and 60 x 50 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 100 x 81, 110 x 90, 130 x 110 and 150 x 120 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 white or light-wood frame, because it does not disturb the pale ground, while a dark or wide gold frame would draw more attention than the work itself.
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 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 49.1178). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 100 x 81 cm. We give the width first; the height is 81 cm. Our largest size is 150 x 120 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1932.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: geometric forms on a pale yellow ground, a tall black spike through a pink rectangle, triangles pointing up and down, a large black arch, a chequered form, arcs and short bars.
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 70 x 60 and 90 x 70 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 50 x 40 and 60 x 50 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 tall black spike through a pink rectangle among triangles, arcs and short bars on pale yellow
- Original: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1932, 100 x 81 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, eight sizes from 50 x 40 to 150 x 120 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
