Description
Thirteen Rectangles is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1930: on an even greyish beige ground, a chain of coloured rectangles descends from the upper left to the lower right, with a large crimson rectangle in the centre. The original belongs to the Musée National d’Art Moderne. 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: | Thirteen Rectangles |
| Other titles: | Dreizehn Rechtecke |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1930 |
| Original size: | 59.5 cm x 69.5 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on cardboard |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 60 x 70 cm to 130 x 140 cm |
| Location: | Musée National d’Art Moderne (inv. no. AM 81-65-62) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
Thirteen Rectangles – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
The ground is an even greyish beige with a faint warm tinge. Across it a chain of rectangles descends from the upper left to the lower right like a staircase, several of them overlapping at their corners. At the top, slightly left of centre, stands an upright dark brown rectangle, and to its left a small pink rectangle whose lower part, over a wide slate-blue rectangle, is mauve. In the centre lies a large crimson rectangle, almost square, the largest and most vivid form. Its upper left corner overlaps the blue rectangle in a small mauve patch, and at its upper right a dark red-brown rectangle overlaps the red and a golden yellow rectangle next to it. Further right, all alone on the ground, is a small pink square. Below the red, on the left, is an upright ultramarine rectangle, pinkish where the two meet. Below the red, on the right, lies a pale cream rectangle; under its right end a thin yellow strip leads to an upright blue-black rectangle above a large rust-red rectangle. At the lower right corner of the rust-red rectangle is a small pale grey square. Lower down, left of centre and apart from the chain, are a small grey-blue square and, below it, a lemon-yellow one. Around the chain the ground stays completely empty.
A staircase of colour
The composition is built on a diagonal that leads the eye from the dark rectangle at the top all the way down to the small grey square at the lower right. The large red rectangle in the centre is the heaviest form and holds the chain together, while the smaller rectangles around it keep the whole from looking rigid. Warm and cool colours alternate, red, yellow and rust-red beside slate blue, ultramarine and blue-black. Where rectangles overlap, small mixed tones appear that link neighbouring colours. The small squares, set apart on the ground, act as pauses in the rhythm. The empty beige ground gives each colour enough room. On the wall the painting looks clear and balanced, and its colours stay vivid even from a distance.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1930. The original is 69.5 cm high and 59.5 cm wide and belongs to the Musée National d’Art Moderne (inv. no. AM 81-65-62). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 59.5 x 69.5 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 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 80 x 90 and 97 x 106 cm, where the details come into their own. The 60 x 70 and 70 x 80 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 110 x 120 and 130 x 140 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 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 Musée National d’Art Moderne (inv. no. AM 81-65-62). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 59.5 x 69.5 cm. We give the width first; the height is 69.5 cm. Our largest size is 130 x 140 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1930.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: rectangles and small squares in red, yellow, several blues, brown, pink and cream on a greyish beige ground, arranged in a chain from the upper left to the lower right.
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 90 and 97 x 106 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 60 x 70 and 70 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?
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: coloured rectangles in a diagonal chain on a greyish beige ground, a large crimson one in the centre
- Original: Musée National d’Art Moderne, 1930, 59.5 x 69.5 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, six sizes from 60 x 70 to 130 x 140 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
