Description
Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 4 is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1914: on a pale, almost white ground, curved bands of wine red, yellow and navy sweep across the upper left, and a large rounded form in green and blue fills the lower half. The original belongs to the Museum of Modern Art. 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: | Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 4 |
| Other titles: | Paneel für Edwin R. Campbell Nr. 4 |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1914 |
| Original size: | 122.5 cm x 163 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | eight sizes from 40 x 50 cm to 120 x 160 cm |
| Location: | Museum of Modern Art (inv. no. 299.1983) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 4 – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is pale, almost white, warming to yellow at the upper left and cooling to blue-grey at the right and bottom; the colour is laid on in quick, feathered strokes. At the upper left, broad curved bands of wine red, yellow and navy rise diagonally like a bent rainbow. Below them sits a ragged patch of bright blue, with a wine-red block beneath it. Dark navy and wine-red strokes run along the top edge. A long, thin dark line crosses the upper half, and at the upper right lie pink and lilac patches, a dark blue wedge and a flaring orange-red stroke. Right of centre a green field is sprinkled with many small red, blue and yellow dots, with scattered dark specks above them. Thin dark lines cross the surface in many directions. On the left, among thin straight lines, are a small red and orange arc and a fan shape striped in black. The lower half is held by a large rounded form like a bowl, traced by a thin curved line, filled with dark green, deep blue and a white diagonal band, and edged in wine red on the right. At the lower left are dark blue and green patches and black strokes, while soft pink and pale blue strokes fill the lower right.
Arcs and scattered colour
The composition is full of movement. The curved bands at the upper left and the rim of the large rounded form below lead the eye in wide arcs, while thin straight lines cut across them and hold the surface together. Most of the colour gathers in a broad mass from the top edge down to the lower centre, and the pale margins give it room to breathe, so the panel feels bright and open despite its density. The strokes are short and feathered, so at the edges the colours melt softly into the ground. The small red, blue and yellow dots at the centre are a lively focus to which the gaze keeps returning. On the wall it looks light and energetic, and each look reveals another passage of colour.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1914. The original is 163 cm high and 122.5 cm wide and belongs to the Museum of Modern Art (inv. no. 299.1983). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 122.5 x 163 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 60 x 80 and 70 x 90 cm, where the details come into their own. The 40 x 50 and 50 x 60 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 80 x 110, 89 x 116, 110 x 140 and 120 x 160 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 Museum of Modern Art (inv. no. 299.1983). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 122.5 x 163 cm. We give the width first; the height is 163 cm. Our largest size is 120 x 160 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1914.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: loose strokes of colour on a pale ground, curved bands of wine red, yellow and navy at the upper left, a field of small coloured dots and a large rounded form below.
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 60 x 80 and 70 x 90 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 40 x 50 and 50 x 60 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: curved bands, a field of coloured dots and a rounded form in feathered strokes on a pale ground
- Original: Museum of Modern Art, 1914, 122.5 x 163 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, eight sizes from 40 x 50 to 120 x 160 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
