Description
To the Blue is a painting by Wassily Kandinsky from 1939: on a pale green field inside a wide pink border, a long dark blue arc links a large deep blue form with a violet one, surrounded by many small pastel shapes. The original belongs to the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. 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: | To the Blue |
| Other titles: | Zum Blau |
| Painter: | Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) |
| Year: | 1939 |
| Original size: | 81 cm x 61 cm |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Available sizes: | six sizes from 70 x 50 cm to 150 x 110 cm |
| Location: | Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (inv. no. AM 81-65-69) |
| Our reproduction: | hand-painted oil on canvas, made to measure on request |
To the Blue – Wassily Kandinsky
What can be seen in the painting?
A broad pale pink border frames a pale green field. At the upper left a long pole striped in orange, yellow and blue crosses a dark green dome, and below it a fan of pastel stripes with small white circles runs down to the right. From there a beige rod runs diagonally down towards the centre and ends in a small yellow circle. In the lower half, just left of centre, stands a large deep blue rounded form, topped by a salmon form striped yellow and green. A long dark blue arc sweeps from the lower left across the blue form up to a dark violet form at the upper right, set with small green, yellow and pink rectangles. From the blue form a fan of thin curved lines in pale blue, pink and grey spreads to the upper right. Small striped spindles and pastel rectangles float across the right half, and at the lower right an orange teardrop lies beside a small teal circle. Left of centre a thin wavy black line with small ticks descends to the blue form, and lower on the left an arc of coloured dots curves around a small pink rectangle. Other small forms are scattered about, among them a yellow crescent, an orange comma, a green half circle and a cluster of tiny squares.
The great arc
The composition rests on one strong diagonal. The dark blue arc links the heavy blue form at the bottom with the violet form at the upper right, and the eye follows it upwards from the lower left. The beige rod from the upper left runs the other way, so the two lines cross on the blue form. The small forms are spread loosely around them and keep the eye moving from one bright accent to the next. The wide empty areas of pale green give the forms enough room to breathe. The colours are soft pastels, and only the deep blue and the violet carry real weight. The pale pink border holds everything together, so on the wall the painting looks light and airy and yet firmly anchored.
About the painting
Kandinsky painted it in 1939. The original is 61 cm high and 81 cm wide and belongs to the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (inv. no. AM 81-65-69). On this page we give the width first, so the original reads 81 x 61 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 70 and 110 x 80 cm, where the details come into their own. The 70 x 50 and 80 x 60 cm sizes suit the wall above a desk or a hallway, and 130 x 94 and 150 x 110 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 Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (inv. no. AM 81-65-69). The work is recorded in Wikidata, and the photograph we paint from is on Wikimedia Commons.
How big is the original?
It measures 81 x 61 cm. We give the width first; the height is 61 cm. Our largest size is 150 x 110 cm.
When was the painting made?
In 1939.
What does the painting show?
Nothing figurative: a pale green field inside a wide pink border, a large deep blue form, a dark violet form, a long dark blue arc and many small striped shapes scattered around them.
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 70 and 110 x 80 cm work best, above a desk or in a hallway 70 x 50 and 80 x 60 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: deep blue and violet forms joined by a dark arc, small pastel shapes on a pale green field
- Original: Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, 1939, 81 x 61 cm
- Our version: hand-painted oil on canvas, six sizes from 70 x 50 to 150 x 110 cm, on a wooden stretcher, framed on request
- Worth knowing: every painting is photographed before dispatch and sent to you for approval
