Description
Rays is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1927: on a deep violet-blue ground, a large circle in a turquoise ring stands at the upper left, and bundles of thin coloured lines spread out to its right and downwards. The original belongs to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. 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: | Rays |
| Other titles: | Strahlen |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1927 |
| Original size: | 74 cm x 99.5 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 60 x 80 cm to 120 x 160 cm |
| Location: | Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (inv. no. 2681 MK) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Rays – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is deep violet-blue, black around the forms. At the upper left is a large dark green circle in a turquoise ring with a pink fringe, and a smaller red circle with a light blue rim lies inside it at the upper left. To its left, a small grid of pale lines frames two orange, one light blue and one turquoise square. From the top, yellow, pink and red lines slant down to the circle; at the upper right, white parallel lines rise beside an ochre patch. Right of centre, pale yellow and orange horizontal lines run out from under the circle, crossed by white, pink and red diagonals falling to the lower right. Among them are a small orange-brown square and a yellow circle. Below the large circle are a crimson circle and a blue dot, with tiny red, orange and blue dots scattered all around. Lower on the right, short red, orange and white horizontal lines lie above two long, rising orange lines. At the lower left is a pointed form like an arrow: a pale violet triangle with a white tip, a red-brown block and small pink, pale green and blue squares above a white stem. In the lower right corner, rows of small red, blue, turquoise and orange squares run off the edge.
The circle and the rays
The composition rests on the contrast of heavy circle and light lines. The large circle at the upper left is a calm centre of weight, while the thin lines shoot away from it like rays and pull the eye right and down. Small dots and squares scattered among them keep the dark space alive, and the pointed form at the lower left answers the circle across the empty ground. The deep violet-blue ground lets every colour shine, from the red circle to the pale lines. The lines are straight and sharp, while the ring around the circle is soft and seems to glow. The rows of squares in the corner close the movement. On the wall the work looks like a night sky full of bright signals.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1927. The original is 99.5 cm high and 74 cm wide and belongs to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (inv. no. 2681 MK). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 74 x 99.5 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 dark ground gives the painting great strength, so it needs a calm, light wall on which it can really glow. It suits a modern room with white or light grey walls best; next to other dark works on the same wall it would lose its force. 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 black or dark wooden frame, because it continues the dark ground, while a wide, ornate gold frame would compete with the colours in the centre.
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 Boijmans Van Beuningen (inv. no. 2681 MK). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 74 x 99.5 cm. We give the width first; the height is 99.5 cm. Our largest size is 120 x 160 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1927.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: a large dark green circle in a turquoise ring, bundles of thin coloured lines, small dots and squares on a deep violet-blue ground, and a pointed form 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 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 circle in a turquoise ring, thin coloured lines and small dots on a deep violet-blue ground
- Original: Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, 1927, 74 x 99.5 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
