Description
Points is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1920: on a warm ochre-yellow ground, sharp pointed forms, circles, zigzag lines and small crossed strokes crowd around a tall dark green spike and a band of coloured stripes. The original belongs to the Ohara Museum of 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: | Points |
| Other titles: | Punkte |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1920 |
| Original size: | 91 cm x 110 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | five sizes from 60 x 70 cm to 130 x 160 cm |
| Location: | Ohara Museum of Art |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Points – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is a warm, slightly mottled ochre yellow, with jagged forms scattered across it. The upper left corner holds a dark green toothed shape above fishbone strokes. On the left edge lies a blue-grey oval with a similar crossed line jutting out, below a small blue and a small dark red dot. In the centre a tall dark green spike rises nearly to the top, and to its left a white, red and orange form climbs diagonally, recalling a feather or a beak. To the right of the spike is a band of horizontal stripes in yellow, orange, turquoise and raspberry red, under a turquoise circle. Lower, left of centre, is a large dark red circle above a toothed turquoise edge, with tiny black dots to its right. At the lower right a large black circle hangs from a thin stalk, and a red-brown zigzag line runs across to the right edge. At the upper right a bundle of dark violet slanting strokes sits above a green hook and tall, narrow green wedges. On the left are a dark red crescent with a toothed rim and a horn-like grey-green form, and at the lower left a dark serrated shape with holes and a long thin diagonal. At the bottom are a small turquoise-centred dark circle and a black fishbone line.
Spikes and circles
The composition has a clear centre: almost every form crowds around the tall spike and the band of coloured stripes, while the edges of the canvas stay emptier, so the mass seems to push outwards. Points, teeth and wedges create tension, and round forms such as the dark red and the black circle calm it and give the weight something to rest on. The warm ochre ground ties all the colours together; against it dark green and black feel heavy, while turquoise, red and white light up. Slanting directions lead the eye from the lower left corner towards the upper right and back again along the wavy red line. On the wall it looks lively and taut, yet warm.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1920. The original is 110 cm high and 91 cm wide and belongs to the Ohara Museum of Art. On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 91 x 110 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 Ohara Museum of Art. The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 91 x 110 cm. We give the width first; the height is 110 cm. Our largest size is 130 x 160 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1920.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: pointed forms on an ochre-yellow ground, a tall dark green spike, a band of coloured stripes, dark red, turquoise and black circles, a zigzag line and small crossed strokes.
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: pointed forms, circles and coloured stripes around a tall dark green spike on an ochre-yellow ground
- Original: Ohara Museum of Art, 1920, 91 x 110 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
