Description
Large Study is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1914: a dense surface of bright colour, with a large round form in the middle, its edge dark and speckled, circled by bands, zigzags and thin lines. The original belongs to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. 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: | Large Study |
| Other titles: | Große Studie |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1914 |
| Original size: | 79.3 cm x 101 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | five sizes from 60 x 70 cm to 130 x 160 cm |
| Location: | Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (inv. no. 2677 MK) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Large Study – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The surface is dense with bright colour, on a pale cream ground that shows through in places. In the middle lies a large round form with a ragged edge: its left and lower parts are dark brown and speckled, its right side deep blue with pointed notches, and wavy orange and yellow lines cross its pale inside. Around it curve many bands and thin lines in blue, red, pink, green and yellow, some in zigzags. At the upper left is a patch of red, orange, green and pink above a broad blue band, and along the top edge, left of centre, a dark brown wedge. At the upper right a pink and orange form lies on a yellow field, and right of centre a tall red-orange bar rises almost vertically. To its right is a dark blue fan-like form crossed by thin lines, and higher up near the right edge an ochre round patch. Two thin ladder-like lines rise at the upper left, and at the left edge are yellow areas and a greyish blue patch. At the lower left a broad red and pink band rises towards the middle, above it at the left edge lies a green triangle, and at the lower right are a red patch and a bundle of thin, pale vertical lines.
Movement around the centre
The composition turns around the large round form in the middle. Bands, zigzags and thin lines circle it and cross it, so the eye keeps moving from the dark speckled edge to the blue notches and out towards the corners. The tall red bar on the right and the pale vertical lines below it are the strongest upright accents in all this movement. Warm red, orange and yellow and cool blue and green are spread evenly across the surface, so no corner stays empty and no colour dominates. The pale ground showing through between the strokes lets the surface breathe. On the wall it reads as a burst of energy that rewards a long look.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1914. The original is 101 cm high and 79.3 cm wide and belongs to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (inv. no. 2677 MK). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 79.3 x 101 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 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 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 Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (inv. no. 2677 MK). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 79.3 x 101 cm. We give the width first; the height is 101 cm. Our largest size is 130 x 160 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1914.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: a large round form with a dark speckled edge, circled by bands, zigzags and thin lines in red, blue, yellow and green, and a tall red bar on 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 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 large round form with a speckled edge amid bright bands, zigzags and thin lines
- Original: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, 1914, 79.3 x 101 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
