Description
Improvisation 21A is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1911: on a pale ground a thick black line outlines a broad hill, with a cluster of slender towers at the top centre and a heavy dark brown mass at the upper right. The original belongs to the Lenbachhaus. 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: | Improvisation 21A |
| Other titles: | Improvisation 21A |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1911 |
| Original size: | 105 cm x 96 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | eight sizes from 60 x 55 cm to 200 x 180 cm |
| Location: | Lenbachhaus (inv. no. GMS 82) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Improvisation 21A – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The pale ground mixes pinkish white, lilac and light beige, with a patch of strong pink in the upper left corner. At the top centre stands a cluster of slender towers with pointed roofs in pale green, pink and lilac, crowned with small red, yellow and blue knobs, like a small town. Above them spreads a grey-green fan-shaped form. To the left of the towers a thin blue wavy line winds across a beige patch. At the upper right a heavy dark brown mass with slate-blue and white streaks stretches to the edge, like a storm cloud. Below the towers a thick black line draws the outline of a broad rounded hill: it rises from left of the middle, runs across the upper centre and drops steeply to the right. Inside the hill the colour moves from deep red along the line to pink, lilac and white. On the right blue predominates, with a long black curve bending downwards and red and orange streaks beside it. At mid-height on the left edge stands a dark blue form with sharp points. At the lower left blue zigzag lines frame white and light beige bands. In the lower middle loose brown looping lines wind downwards, and beside them a narrow grey-green form outlined in black rises from the bottom edge.
The hill and the towers
The black line of the hill carries the composition: it rises from the left, arches over the centre and falls to the right, and the eye follows it as along a path. The towers at the top centre are the firmest point, small and dense among loose, open patches of colour. The heavy brown mass at the upper right counterbalances the light pink of the upper left corner. Warm pinks and reds gather in the middle, while cool blues fill the right side and the lower left. The looping brown lines and the blue zigzags keep the lower half moving, and the narrow grey-green form leads the eye back up towards the hill. On the wall the painting therefore looks light and lively, yet unified.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1911. The original is 96 cm high and 105 cm wide and belongs to the Lenbachhaus (inv. no. GMS 82). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 105 x 96 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 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, 160 x 150 and 200 x 180 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 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 Lenbachhaus (inv. no. GMS 82). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 105 x 96 cm. We give the width first; the height is 96 cm. Our largest size is 200 x 180 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1911.
What does the painting show?
A cluster of slender towers with pointed roofs at the top centre, above a broad hill outlined in black, among pink, lilac, blue and brown patches of colour on a pale ground.
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: slender towers above a broad black-outlined hill among pink, blue and brown patches on a pale ground
- Original: Lenbachhaus, 1911, 105 x 96 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, eight sizes from 60 x 55 to 200 x 180 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
