Description
Painting on Light Ground is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1916: on a pale grey-cream ground sits one large mottled mass with dark edges, holding a rainbow arc, coloured rings, a curved ochre form and a jagged band along its top. The original belongs to the Musée National d’Art Moderne. We make it as a hand-painted reproduction in oil on canvas, in six sizes or made to measure, and before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve.
| Title: | Painting on Light Ground |
| Other titles: | Gemälde auf hellem Grund |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1916 |
| Original size: | 78 cm x 100 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 60 x 80 cm to 120 x 160 cm |
| Location: | Musée National d’Art Moderne |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Painting on Light Ground – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The pale, soft grey-cream ground shows only as a narrow margin, because one large mass with rounded corners fills almost the whole surface. Its edges are mottled in dark brown, olive and grey, like rough bark or fur; down the right side they form a wide dark band, and at the upper left a strip of dusty red runs along the rim. Across the top curves a jagged black band with patches of blue, violet, green and yellow, and at its right end sits a small orange spot with a dark centre. Inside, the mass is a warm olive yellow. A rainbow arc of violet, green, yellow and pink sweeps across the upper middle. Directly below it, in the centre, lie concentric rings in yellow, blue and green, to their right a white and green half-disc edged in red, and then a dark round blot with a blue dot. A slender pale blue form rises from the middle towards the upper right. In the lower centre a large ochre crescent curves round a small white patch, and pale yellow strips cross it diagonally. The lower left is brushed in grey and violet. Near the bottom sit a fringe of red, white and blue, a small black spiky tuft and, to the right, a green fan shape and pink loops.
Mass and pale margin
The composition works like a vessel. The dark, mottled rim encloses everything, and the pale margin around it gives the eye a calm place to rest. Inside, movement gathers towards the middle: the rainbow arc bends over the rings, the slender blue form points upwards, and the heavy ochre crescent anchors the lower half. Soft, muted colours dominate, olive, yellow, violet and grey, while small accents of red, white and deep blue lead the eye from one spot to the next. The rough edges contrast with the smoother interior, so the centre seems to glow. On the wall the work reads first as a single strong shape, and then slowly opens into detail.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1916. The original is 100 cm high and 78 cm wide and belongs to the Musée National d’Art Moderne. On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 78 x 100 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 80 x 110 and 89 x 116 cm, where the details come into their own. The 60 x 80 and 70 x 90 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 110 x 140 and 120 x 160 cm a large wall above a sofa or in an entrance hall. All six 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 Musée National d’Art Moderne. The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 78 x 100 cm. We give the width first; the height is 100 cm. Our largest size is 120 x 160 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1916.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: one large mottled form on a pale ground, holding a rainbow arc, coloured rings, an ochre crescent, a slender blue form and a jagged dark band along the top.
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 110 and 89 x 116 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 60 x 80 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 mottled form on a pale ground, with a rainbow arc, coloured rings and an ochre crescent
- Original: Musée National d’Art Moderne, 1916, 78 x 100 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, six sizes from 60 x 80 to 120 x 160 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
