Description
Painting with Troika is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1911: under a warm yellow sky crossed by pink arcs, a small cart with a driver and white horses moves past a tall blue form, beside a red-brown hill and a flowering tree. The original belongs to the Art Institute of Chicago. 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 with Troika |
| Other titles: | Gemälde mit Troika |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1911 |
| Original size: | 97 cm x 70 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on cardboard |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 70 x 50 cm to 150 x 112 cm |
| Location: | Art Institute of Chicago |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Painting with Troika – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The sky fills the upper half with warm yellow and orange, crossed by broad sweeping arcs of pink, salmon, white and lilac that rise from the left and arch over towards the right. At the left edge rises a tall, deep blue form outlined in black, and on its top sit small pointed shapes in green, yellow and pale ochre, like roofs or towers. Beside the blue form a pale white and grey cloud drifts into the yellow sky. In front of it stands a small cart on two pale wheels with a brown covered body, and on it a tiny pink figure holds a long whip. Thin black lines, like reins, run from the figure towards the horses. Ahead of the cart, to the right, white curling shapes outlined in black recall horses running forward. Across the middle stretches a long red-brown hill. At its centre stands a tree full of pink blossoms, with thin dark stalks rising among them. The right side is taken up by a rounded green hill scattered with short dark strokes, and on its yellow lower slopes several figures and faces are drawn in simple black lines. A black band curves beneath this hill. Below is a surge of waves in deep blue, violet and green, with white crests breaking across them.
Warm sky, cool waves
The composition is built on a sweeping movement from left to right. The cart and the white horses seem to race along the red-brown hill, and the arcs in the sky repeat the same curve, so the whole scene seems to be in motion. The tall blue form at the left holds this rush in check like a vertical anchor, while the green hill at the right closes the scene and stops the eye. Warm yellows and oranges above meet cool blues and violets below, and the red-brown hill lies between them as a band that joins the two halves. The pink tree marks the centre. Broad, visible strokes give the movement even more life. On the wall it looks bright, festive and full of motion.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1911. The original is 70 cm high and 97 cm wide and belongs to the Art Institute of Chicago. On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 97 x 70 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 70 and 110 x 80 cm, where the details come into their own. The 70 x 50 and 80 x 60 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 130 x 97 and 150 x 112 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 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 Art Institute of Chicago. The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 97 x 70 cm. We give the width first; the height is 70 cm. Our largest size is 150 x 112 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1911.
What does the painting show?
A cart with a driver and white horses on a red-brown hill, a tall blue form at the left, a pink flowering tree, a green hill with figures at the right and blue waves below.
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 70 and 110 x 80 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 70 x 50 and 80 x 60 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: troika cart with white horses before a tall blue form, a flowering tree, a green hill and blue waves
- Original: Art Institute of Chicago, 1911, 97 x 70 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, six sizes from 70 x 50 to 150 x 112 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
