Description
Complex-Simple is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1939: on a pale ground, a dense cluster of black-edged forms, rectangles, bars and winding speckled ribbons, with a red square in the middle and a green form at the upper right. The original belongs to the Musée National d’Art Moderne. We make it as a hand-painted reproduction in oil on canvas, in five sizes or made to measure, and before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve.
| Title: | Complex-Simple |
| Other titles: | Komplex-Einfach |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1939 |
| Original size: | 82 cm x 100.5 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | five sizes from 60 x 70 cm to 130 x 160 cm |
| Location: | Musée National d’Art Moderne (inv. no. AM 3667 P) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Complex-Simple – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is pale, almost white, and a dense cluster of forms fills most of it, each edged in black within a smoky grey-blue halo. At the upper left stands a large light blue rectangle with a green half circle at its left, and over it lie a yellow field, thin white and pale bars and a small red strip at the top. To its right is a speckled pink and violet quadrilateral. At the upper right is a large green form with a wavy outline and, inside it, an orange shape with branching arms like a starfish; above it a pale speckled band curves towards the upper right corner. In the middle lies a red square with a yellow circle in a pale blue ring, and to its right a wedge of pale yellow-green stripes. Below the red square a speckled form in pink, violet, grey-green and yellow winds like a ribbon. Left of centre is a red half circle above a pale yellow shape, at the left a curved band in yellow and violet, and from them thin lines run down to a small hook. Near the bottom, right of centre, is a pale oval with a green star-shaped form inside, and near the left edge a small yellow circle with a white flower-like shape.
Many parts in one block
The composition gathers many small parts into one compact block. The black outlines and the smoky halos keep every form apart, so each can be read on its own, while the pale ground around the cluster keeps the whole calm. Straight rectangles and bars dominate the upper left, soft rounded and winding forms the right and the lower half, and the red square in the middle joins the two. Speckled surfaces in pastel colours give a gentle texture, and a few strong accents, the red, the green and the orange, draw the eye first. From there it wanders along the winding ribbon and the thin lines down to the small forms at the bottom.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1939. The original is 100.5 cm high and 82 cm wide and belongs to the Musée National d’Art Moderne (inv. no. AM 3667 P). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 82 x 100.5 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 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 90 x 110 and 111 x 139 cm, where the details come into their own. The 60 x 70 and 70 x 90 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 130 x 160 cm a large wall above a sofa or in an entrance hall. All five 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 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 Musée National d’Art Moderne (inv. no. AM 3667 P). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 82 x 100.5 cm. We give the width first; the height is 100.5 cm. Our largest size is 130 x 160 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1939.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: a cluster of black-edged forms on a pale ground, with rectangles, bars, a red square with a yellow circle, a green form with an orange shape inside and winding speckled ribbons.
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 110 and 111 x 139 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 60 x 70 and 70 x 90 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 cluster of black-edged rectangles, bars and winding speckled forms on a pale ground
- Original: Musée National d’Art Moderne, 1939, 82 x 100.5 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, five sizes from 60 x 70 to 130 x 160 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
