Description
Improvisation 6 (African) is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1909: figures in long robes stand and bend on a pale ground, with a large white rectangle rising at the left and glowing fields of red, yellow, blue and green above them. The original belongs to the Lenbachhaus. 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: | Improvisation 6 (African) |
| Other titles: | Improvisation 6 (Afrikanisches) |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1909 |
| Original size: | 99.5 cm x 107 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | five sizes from 60 x 60 cm to 98 x 105 cm |
| Location: | Lenbachhaus (inv. no. GMS 56) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Improvisation 6 (African) – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
Broad, loose strokes of saturated colour fill the surface, each area outlined in dark contour. At the left stands a large pale rectangle, almost white, with soft traces of yellow and grey. Before it, at the lower left, a tall figure stands upright in a long white and pale yellow robe, with a green hood, a red and pink face and small red shoes on green. From the middle a figure in a blue robe bends towards it, and where they meet a small orange spot looks like a pair of hands. From there, blue and violet stripes of its robe fall towards the lower edge. Right of centre a pink and yellow form leans forward in a wide curve. At the right stands a figure with a dark green head ringed in yellow and a blue robe turning yellow at the feet, above orange shoes; behind it a wide red cloak spreads out to both sides. Above, the upper half is a play of coloured fields: a pale pink hooded shape above and left of centre, a tall blue form in the middle, a green mound, a broad blue and turquoise area at the upper right, a yellow band across the top and red patches along the top edge. The lower edge is white with small green patches.
Figures in glowing colour
The composition rests on a strong contrast between left and right. The calm white rectangle and the pale figure in front of it give the left side a quiet, light weight, while the right half glows with red, blue and yellow. Between them the bending figures form a chain, and the eye follows it from the upright figure at the left across the blue robe and the pink curve to the figure with the yellow ring. Above, the fields of colour rise in loose, energetic strokes, and the dark contours bind every form together. White areas at the bottom and left let the colours breathe. The effect is festive and warm, and the longer you look, the more figures seem to step out of the colour.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1909. The original is 107 cm high and 99.5 cm wide and belongs to the Lenbachhaus (inv. no. GMS 56). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 99.5 x 107 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 80 x 90 and 90 x 100 cm, where the details come into their own. The 60 x 60 and 70 x 80 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 98 x 105 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 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 Lenbachhaus (inv. no. GMS 56). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 99.5 x 107 cm. We give the width first; the height is 107 cm. Our largest size is 98 x 105 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1909.
What does the painting show?
Robed figures: a tall white one at the left before a pale rectangle, bending figures in blue and pink in the middle and a yellow-ringed figure in blue at the right.
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 80 x 90 and 90 x 100 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 60 x 60 and 70 x 80 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: figures in long white, blue and pink robes before a large pale rectangle and fields of glowing colour
- Original: Lenbachhaus, 1909, 99.5 x 107 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, five sizes from 60 x 60 to 98 x 105 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
