Description
Arabian Cemetery is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1909: a sunlit burial ground in glowing yellow, orange and blue, with an arched gateway, rows of low stones, figures in long robes and a blue dome at the upper right. The original belongs to the Hamburger Kunsthalle. We make it as a hand-painted reproduction in oil on canvas, in six sizes or made to measure, and before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve.
| Title: | Arabian Cemetery |
| Other titles: | Arabischer Friedhof |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1909 |
| Original size: | 98 cm x 71.5 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on cardboard |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 70 x 50 cm to 150 x 110 cm |
| Location: | Hamburger Kunsthalle (inv. no. HK-2962) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Arabian Cemetery – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
Warm yellows and oranges fill most of the surface, against deep blues and greens. At the top is a sky of orange and pink strokes. On the left a dark green slope, streaked with yellow, falls towards the middle. At the top centre stands a tree with round orange fruits against dark blue; below it rises an arched yellow gateway with a dark opening. Short steps lead up to it. To its right a bare dark tree lifts curling branches, and behind it an orange wall with two narrow doorways runs to the right edge, under a large blue-green dome at the upper right. Between the gateway and the bare tree stands a narrow pale yellow pillar. A broad yellow band crosses the middle on the left; below and to the right of it lie rows of low slabs and stones in yellow, orange, blue and green. At the left a white-robed figure bends forward beside a small crouching figure in yellow with a red cap. Right of centre stands a tall blue-robed figure in a light green and orange headdress; at the right edge a figure in white stands beside a dark blue vessel. A broad dark green shadow reaches from the middle to the lower edge, and the foreground is green and yellow with orange and blue patches.
Layers of warm colour
The composition is built from horizontal layers: sky, slope and wall at the top, the yellow band and rows of stones in the middle, the green foreground below. The gateway and the tall blue figure add two vertical accents, in the upper middle and on the right. Warm yellow and orange dominate, answered across the whole surface by the deep blue of the robes, the dome and the shadows. The eye starts at the gateway’s dark opening, descends the steps, crosses the stones to the bending figure on the left and returns along the yellow band to the standing figure on the right. Broad, visible strokes give every area a lively surface. On the wall it glows warmly, and the longer you look, the more figures and stones you discover.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1909. The original is 71.5 cm high and 98 cm wide and belongs to the Hamburger Kunsthalle (inv. no. HK-2962). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 98 x 71.5 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 warm, saturated colours make the painting glow, so it looks good in a living room or dining room, next to natural wood and quiet furniture. It works best on a light, neutral wall; next to other very colourful works on the same wall the colours would drown each other out. 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 70 and 110 x 80 cm, where the details come into their own. The 70 x 50 and 80 x 60 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 130 x 100 and 150 x 110 cm a large wall above a sofa or in an entrance hall. All six 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 natural or dark wooden frame, because it calms and holds the colours together, while a wide, ornate gold frame would compete with the painter’s colours.
Delivery and guarantee
Because every painting on canvas is painted only after you order, in our studio in Slovenia, 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 Hamburger Kunsthalle (inv. no. HK-2962). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 98 x 71.5 cm. We give the width first; the height is 71.5 cm. Our largest size is 150 x 110 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1909.
What does the painting show?
A sunlit burial ground with an arched yellow gateway, rows of low stones, an orange wall under a blue dome at the upper right, and figures in long white and blue robes in the foreground.
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 70 and 110 x 80 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 70 x 50 and 80 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: sunlit burial ground with an arched gateway, rows of low stones, a blue dome and long-robed figures
- Original: Hamburger Kunsthalle, 1909, 98 x 71.5 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, six sizes from 70 x 50 to 150 x 110 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
