Description
Red Form is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1938: on a black ground, a large red form in a wide white border swells upwards, crossed by curved bands of orange, green, lavender, blue and yellow. 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: | Red Form |
| Other titles: | Rote Form |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1938 |
| Original size: | 60 cm x 82 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 49 x 69 cm to 110 x 150 cm |
| Painted from: | a public-domain photograph of the original (Wikimedia Commons) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Red Form – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
A large red form with soft, swelling contours fills most of the black ground, surrounded by a wide cream-white border that follows every bulge. Its upper part rounds out into a broad head, crossed at the upper left by curved stripes of pale yellow and lavender. Over its upper left edge lies a translucent pink ribbon reaching into the black on both sides. At the top, right of centre, small overlapping translucent circles in pale yellow, pink, green and lilac cluster in the red, and below them a deep blue crescent curves along the right edge. Below the head, a short arc of yellow, blue and green stripes lies beside a white tongue pushing into the red from the right, and lower down a second white tongue reaches in from the left. A wide bow of curved bands in orange, green, pale blue, lavender and violet crosses the lower, larger part, running from the upper right to the lower left edge. On the right, in the lower red, three more bands in pale violet, pale blue and yellow echo it. At the top right, outside the border, a small orange flower-like form with a lilac drop and pale tendrils stands on the black. At the bottom centre a small orange bell with a many-coloured fringe hangs below the border.
Red in a white border
The white border holds the composition together and sets the red form sharply apart from the black ground. Within it, the great bow of coloured bands leads the eye from the upper right down to the lower left, and the smaller arcs repeat this movement at different sizes. The pure red dominates, yet the cool blues, greens and lilacs on it keep it from looking heavy. The translucent pink ribbon and the circles at the top lighten the upper part, where the red is densest. The small forms at the top right and bottom centre act as accents at the edges and keep the eye within the form. On the wall the painting reads as one strong, glowing shape, and its soft curves make it feel calm rather than restless.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1938. The original is 82 cm high and 60 cm wide. On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 60 x 82 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 70 x 100 and 80 x 110 cm, where the details come into their own. The 49 x 69 and 60 x 80 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 90 x 130 and 110 x 150 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 work recorded?
The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 60 x 82 cm. We give the width first; the height is 82 cm. Our largest size is 110 x 150 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1938.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: a large red form in a wide white border on a black ground, crossed by curved bands in orange, green, blue, lavender and yellow, with small forms at its edges.
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 100 and 80 x 110 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 49 x 69 and 60 x 80 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?
We do not sell the original and give no market value for it; 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 red form in a white border, crossed by curved coloured bands, on a black ground
- Original: 1938, 60 x 82 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, six sizes from 49 x 69 to 110 x 150 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
