Description
Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 3 is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1914: on a pale, whitish grey ground in a tall format, black forms, bright colour patches and a long pale green stem climb upwards above a large grey dome. The original belongs to the Museum of Modern Art. 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: | Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 3 |
| Other titles: | Paneel für Edwin R. Campbell Nr. 3 |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1914 |
| Original size: | 92.1 cm x 162.5 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | five sizes from 50 x 80 cm to 88 x 146 cm |
| Location: | Museum of Modern Art (inv. no. 2.1954) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 3 – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is a whitish grey, cooling to blue-grey at the lower left, with the colour laid on in short, thick strokes. Along the top edge, right of centre, spreads a feathery grey and black form like open wings, touched with pink and dark red beneath. The upper left holds a dark green patch and orange blotches, the upper right corner a red patch beside a pale turquoise one. Below the green, thin black curved lines rise like stalks tipped with yellow and dark red dots. In the upper centre lies a large black shape rimmed with deep blue, with a white knot of lines in a pale patch at its edge. To its right a pale grey column climbs to the top. On the right, black rays burst from a red and orange cluster with a small blue circle. Along the left edge a black upright form is crossed by short horizontal bars above a larger black patch. A long pale green stem rises diagonally from the lower centre among yellow, orange and pink patches. A sheaf of thin black lines spreads to the right edge, where blue, red and yellow strokes run down. At the bottom stands a large grey and black dome, hatched in blue at its base, and dark teal strokes lie at the lower right.
Rising through the height
The tall, narrow format turns the panel into a journey upwards. The heavy dome at the bottom gives it a firm base, and from there the pale green stem and the grey column carry the eye towards the dark winged form along the top edge. Black is used sparingly but decisively: the large black shape in the upper centre and the dark masses along the left edge anchor the lighter colours around them. Warm yellow, orange and pink gather in the middle, while the rays on the right and the sheaf of thin lines pull the gaze sideways before it climbs again. The pale ground leaves plenty of air between the forms. On the wall it looks bright and upright, and the eye keeps finding new paths through it.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1914. The original is 162.5 cm high and 92.1 cm wide and belongs to the Museum of Modern Art (inv. no. 2.1954). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 92.1 x 162.5 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 70 x 120 and 80 x 130 cm, where the details come into their own. The 50 x 80 and 60 x 100 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 88 x 146 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 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 Museum of Modern Art (inv. no. 2.1954). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 92.1 x 162.5 cm. We give the width first; the height is 162.5 cm. Our largest size is 88 x 146 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1914.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: patches and strokes of colour on a pale ground, a feathery black form along the top, a large black area rimmed with blue, a pale green stem and a grey dome 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 70 x 120 and 80 x 130 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 50 x 80 and 60 x 100 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: black and coloured forms, a pale green stem and grey dome in thick strokes on a pale ground
- Original: Museum of Modern Art, 1914, 92.1 x 162.5 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, five sizes from 50 x 80 to 88 x 146 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
