Description
Improvisation 12 (The Rider) is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1910: a rider on a many-coloured horse leans forward in the middle, beneath a great red arc that sweeps across the top, with a pale, almost white field at the right. The original belongs to the Bavarian State Painting Collections. We make it as a hand-painted reproduction in oil on canvas, in seven sizes or made to measure, and before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve.
| Title: | Improvisation 12 (The Rider) |
| Other titles: | Improvisation 12 (Reiter) |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1910 |
| Original size: | 106.5 cm x 97 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | seven sizes from 60 x 55 cm to 160 x 150 cm |
| Location: | Bavarian State Painting Collections (inv. no. 11249) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Improvisation 12 (The Rider) – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
Broad, sweeping strokes fill the surface. A wide red arc rises from the lower left, curves through the upper half and runs out at the top right; above it, in the upper left corner, bands of blue, turquoise, violet and dark grey follow the same curve. At the upper right, blue, turquoise and yellow streaks fan out like rays. In the middle the rider leans forward, with a grey face, a pale grey and white sleeve, a green body and a small red patch behind the shoulder; from the head a large black shape spreads far to the left. The horse below is patched in many colours: yellow, pink and brown on its body, a bright red area lower down and legs in blue, brown and yellow reaching the lower edge. At the lower right a long blue form with a round red and turquoise mark stretches downward. At the lower left, turquoise and deep blue shape what looks like the horse’s head, with white strokes around a dark opening. Behind the rider, on the right, are a teal patch with dark dots and a crimson area. The right side is a pale, almost white field, and in the lower right corner rises a dark rounded mound. Brown, ochre, orange and yellow fill the lower left corner.
Movement in a great arc
The whole composition swings in one direction. The red arc and the bands above it pull the eye from the lower left across the top, and the yellow and blue rays at the upper right carry the movement onward. Rider and horse sit at the centre of this sweep, packed with small, dense patches of colour, while the pale field at the right gives the eye a place to rest. Warm reds and yellows meet cool blues and turquoise across the surface, so the energy never settles. Dark patches by the rider’s head and in the lower right corner give the movement weight. The effect is fast and airy, like a gallop caught in colour.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1910. The original is 97 cm high and 106.5 cm wide and belongs to the Bavarian State Painting Collections (inv. no. 11249). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 106.5 x 97 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 80 and 105 x 96 cm, where the details come into their own. The 60 x 55 and 80 x 70 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 120 x 110, 140 x 130 and 160 x 150 cm a large wall above a sofa or in an entrance hall. All seven 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 Bavarian State Painting Collections (inv. no. 11249). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 106.5 x 97 cm. We give the width first; the height is 97 cm. Our largest size is 160 x 150 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1910.
What does the painting show?
A rider leaning forward on a horse in the middle, beneath a red arc and blue and yellow rays, with a pale field at the right and a horse-like head at the lower 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 90 x 80 and 105 x 96 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 60 x 55 and 80 x 70 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 rider leaning forward on a many-coloured horse beneath a wide red arc and blue and yellow rays
- Original: Bavarian State Painting Collections, 1910, 106.5 x 97 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, seven sizes from 60 x 55 to 160 x 150 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
