Description
Munich-Schwabing with the Church of St. Ursula is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1908: across a bright meadow of green, red and yellow strokes the eye reaches a row of town buildings with a red tower and a dome under a deep blue sky. 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: | Munich-Schwabing with the Church of St. Ursula |
| Other titles: | München-Schwabing mit der Kirche St. Ursula |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1908 |
| Original size: | 49 cm x 68.8 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | eight sizes from 40 x 55 cm to 130 x 180 cm |
| Location: | Lenbachhaus |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Munich-Schwabing with the Church of St. Ursula – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The sky is a deep, saturated blue. At the upper left edge stands a tall green building with rows of dark windows and a red roof, and beside it a large pale yellow and pink cloud billows up. At the upper right rise a slender red tower and a red dome with yellow and green patches. Below, a row of dark buildings spans the whole width, broken by orange and red foliage, and right of centre stands a green building with a red roof, a yellow gable and rows of small windows. In front of them a blue railing with pale posts crosses the middle. Beneath it lie a narrow band of pale blue and white and then yellow and green strokes on dark blue. Right of centre a broad pink and red band sweeps in from the right edge and curves down the right side to the bottom, turning orange-red and dotted with dark blue. A green meadow flecked with yellow fills the centre, with a pale patch of blue, white and lilac on its right. At the lower left several small figures with orange faces and blue clothes gather in the grass, two of them standing. At the left edge are a small red figure and a patch of white and lilac. Dark blue and green strokes run along the bottom edge.
From the meadow to the town
The composition is built in horizontal layers: blue sky, the band of buildings, the railing and the wide meadow filling more than half the height. The red tower at the upper right and the green building at the upper left frame the town on both sides. In the lower half, the red band curving down the right side draws the eye from the town into the foreground, where the small figures at the lower left give it a place to rest. The pale cloud at the upper left and the pale patch in the meadow answer each other across the whole canvas. The strong colours are set against each other, red against green, yellow against blue. Short, thick strokes make the surfaces seem to move. On the wall the painting glows with colour and still reads clearly as a view across a meadow to a town.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1908. The original is 68.8 cm high and 49 cm wide and belongs to the Lenbachhaus. On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 49 x 68.8 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. The first photograph shows our copy in a thin black frame, on the studio floor before racks of frame samples. The second photograph is a close-up of the small group of figures in the grass, with the thick brushstrokes clearly visible. The third photograph shows at an angle the yellow gable, red roof and green facade with dark windows beside orange-red foliage.
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 60 x 80 and 70 x 100 cm, where the details come into their own. The 40 x 55 and 49 x 69 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 80 x 110, 90 x 130, 110 x 150 and 130 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 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. The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 49 x 68.8 cm. We give the width first; the height is 68.8 cm. Our largest size is 130 x 180 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1908.
What does the painting show?
A colourful meadow in front of a row of town buildings, a red tower and a dome under a deep blue sky, with a small group of figures in the grass 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 60 x 80 and 70 x 100 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 40 x 55 and 49 x 69 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 colourful meadow with small figures in front of town buildings, a red tower and a dome
- Original: Lenbachhaus, 1908, 49 x 68.8 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, eight sizes from 40 x 55 to 130 x 180 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
