Description
Small Pleasures is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1913: a tall ochre hill crowned with small towers rises through dense patches of red, blue and yellow, with a rider-like form on its slope and a small boat at the top. The original belongs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. We make it as a hand-painted reproduction in oil on canvas, in eight sizes or made to measure, and before dispatch you receive a photograph of the finished work to approve.
| Title: | Small Pleasures |
| Other titles: | Kleine Freuden |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1913 |
| Original size: | 119.7 cm x 109.8 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | eight sizes from 60 x 55 cm to 180 x 170 cm |
| Location: | Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 43.921) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Small Pleasures – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is warm, cream and ochre, and densely covered with patches of red, blue, yellow and pink. From the lower left a large hill rises diagonally to the middle of the upper half; it is ochre and pink, dotted with red, and edged on its left side by a dark blue line. On its top stand small towers drawn in thin lines, red and blue forms and, on the right, a red form with a pointed roof, with blue and red rings behind them. On the upper left slope of the hill a form recalls a small blue rider on a rearing brown horse. In the upper left corner glows a red patch with a jagged edge, and along the left edge run small rings and zigzags in blue, red and green. At the top, right of centre, a dark blue boat with small upright coloured figures lies in a dark brown area, and beside it a large white and blue form with a thick black outline arches like a wave over the upper right corner. On the right, halfway down, are brownish and pink patches and a small red and white form crossed by black lines. At the lower right two long curving forms, one yellow and one red, rise from the bottom edge towards the centre. In the lower middle lies a grey-green oval outlined in blue, and below it wavy lines in grey, green and blue wind along, with a few black dots among them. On the left, halfway down, are an orange-red curved form and a dark blue half-circle; in the lower left corner are a green jagged line and red arcs, and on the left edge a violet jagged patch.
A hill full of colour
The composition is carried by the great diagonal of the hill, which leads the eye from the lower left up to the small towers at the top. Around it the colour breaks into many small patches, so the eye keeps finding new details: the rider, the boat, the rings along the left edge. The dark arching form at the upper right weighs against the bright hill, and the two long forms at the lower right answer its diagonal. Warm reds and ochres dominate, and the blues cool them without breaking the warm mood. On the wall the painting looks cheerful and rich, like a small world worth exploring.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1913. The original is 109.8 cm high and 119.7 cm wide and belongs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 43.921). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 119.7 x 109.8 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 80 and 100 x 90 cm, where the details come into their own. The 60 x 55 and 80 x 70 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 110 x 100, 120 x 110, 150 x 140 and 180 x 170 cm a large wall above a sofa or in an entrance hall. All eight 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 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (inv. no. 43.921). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 119.7 x 109.8 cm. We give the width first; the height is 109.8 cm. Our largest size is 180 x 170 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1913.
What does the painting show?
A tall ochre hill crowned with small towers, a form like a rider on a horse on its slope, a boat with small figures at the top and dense patches of warm colour all around.
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 60 x 55 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: a tall hill crowned with small towers among dense patches of red, blue, yellow and pink
- Original: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1913, 119.7 x 109.8 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, eight sizes from 60 x 55 to 180 x 170 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
