Description
Sketch 160A is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1912: on a pale, pinkish cream ground, patches of blue, yellow, red and violet float among quick black lines, loops, a fine net and a white ring with a dark centre. The original belongs to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. We make it as a hand-painted reproduction in oil on canvas, in seven sizes or made to measure, and before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve.
| Title: | Sketch 160A |
| Other titles: | Skizze 160A |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1912 |
| Original size: | 108 cm x 95 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | seven sizes from 70 x 60 cm to 160 x 140 cm |
| Location: | Museum of Fine Arts, Houston |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Sketch 160A – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The pale, pinkish cream ground has soft touches of grey-green and light blue, crossed every way by quick black lines. At the upper right spreads a large dark blue patch with a feathery edge. Along the upper left edge runs a narrow red band with a toothed rim, beside a brown patch. Below, at the left, sit a bright yellow patch and a deep blue-green one, and above them, left of centre, a yellow form with black curls and blue strokes. At the top centre a pale yellow triangle lies inside a white oval, under a dark red-brown stroke. To the right, on pale violet, is a small dark red oval outlined in black. On the left a white oval holds red patches, and two long black lines slant down from the left edge. Left of centre a violet-brown patch rests above a fine black net. In the middle sits a white ring with a dark core, under red and black strokes. Right of centre a long pale blue and pink wedge points down left. At the lower left is a pale beige arch with dark dots; along the bottom a dark grey curve leads to a dotted pale blue form. At the lower right lies a large black patch with light blue shapes, under a dark red-brown one.
Lines over colour
The composition works in two layers. Soft patches of colour are spread loosely over the pale ground, and over them runs a quick black drawing of lines, loops and small nets that ties everything together. The heaviest accents sit in the corners: dark blue at the upper right and black at the lower right, balanced by the yellow and blue-green patches on the left. The white ring in the middle is a point of rest, and from it the eye moves outward along the lines. Pale colours keep the whole light and airy, while the black strokes give it pace. On the wall it feels fresh and spontaneous, like a thought caught while it was still moving.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1912. The original is 95 cm high and 108 cm wide and belongs to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 108 x 95 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 90 x 80 and 100 x 90 cm, where the details come into their own. The 70 x 60 and 80 x 70 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 120 x 100, 140 x 120 and 160 x 140 cm a large wall above a sofa or in an entrance hall. All seven 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 Fine Arts, Houston. The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 108 x 95 cm. We give the width first; the height is 95 cm. Our largest size is 160 x 140 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1912.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: soft patches of blue, yellow, red and violet on a pale ground, drawn over with quick black lines, loops and a fine net, with a white ring in the middle.
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 80 and 100 x 90 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 70 x 60 and 80 x 70 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: patches of blue, yellow, red and violet under quick black lines on a pale cream ground
- Original: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1912, 108 x 95 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, seven sizes from 70 x 60 to 160 x 140 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
