Description
Composition VIII is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1923: on a pale, cream-white ground, circles, triangles, arcs and straight black lines interlock, and at the upper left a large black circle with a violet centre stands out. The original belongs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. 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: | Composition VIII |
| Other titles: | Komposition VIII |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1923 |
| Original size: | 201 cm x 140 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 70 x 50 cm to 160 x 110 cm |
| Location: | Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 37.262) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Composition VIII – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is pale and cream-white, and clear geometric forms are set out across it. At the upper left is a large black circle with a violet centre, wrapped in a soft pink and red glow, with a smaller red circle below it to the right. From the left half rises a large pale blue-green triangle, and a band of black and white squares, with green, brown and blue ones among them, climbs diagonally across it. In the middle a slender triangle, drawn only in lines, reaches up to the top edge, next to a small yellow triangle near the top and, lower down, a brown triangle holding a ring. Straight black lines and diagonals run across the whole canvas; on the right they gather into a bundle carrying small black and white squares and tiny circles in blue, orange and green. Along the right edge stands a grid of thin lines with pink squares. At the lower left is a yellow circle in a grey-blue glow, and lower down, left of centre, a dark blue circle in a pink ring with a yellow glow. A row of semicircles runs through the middle, and at the lower right are a violet circle, a green circle, an orange triangle and a small dark red square.
Circles, triangles and lines
The composition is built on contrasts. The heavy circles at the upper left balance the bundle of thin diagonals on the right, and the sharp corners of the triangles meet the soft curves of the semicircles. The colours are restrained: the large areas stay pale, and strong accents in black, red, yellow and blue are placed so that the eye travels from one form to the next. Apart from the large black circle, no form dominates; each has its place in a carefully judged rhythm. On the wall it therefore looks lively and yet orderly, and every time you look you discover a new detail.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1923. The original is 140 cm high and 201 cm wide and belongs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 37.262). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 201 x 140 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 100 x 70 and 120 x 80 cm, where the details come into their own. The 70 x 50 and 90 x 60 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 140 x 100 and 160 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 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 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 37.262). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 201 x 140 cm. We give the width first; the height is 140 cm. Our largest size is 160 x 110 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1923.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: geometric forms on a pale ground, with circles, triangles, semicircles, a chequered band and a bundle of straight lines, and a large black circle with a violet centre at the upper left.
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 100 x 70 and 120 x 80 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 70 x 50 and 90 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: circles, triangles, semicircles and straight lines on a pale ground, with a large black circle at the upper left
- Original: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1923, 201 x 140 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, six sizes from 70 x 50 to 160 x 110 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
