Oversized abstract wall art: the largest canvases painted by Régine Gardan

Some paintings sit on a wall, and others take over the whole wall. This collection brings together the seven largest canvases to come out of Régine Gardan's studio, the work of a French painter: oil paintings on canvas measuring 100 to 120 cm, every one of them painted by hand, every one of them unique. Just seven works, and that is exactly as it should be. Oversized abstract wall art is not something you multiply: it is a piece you choose once, for a long time.

What a very large canvas changes in a room

A large format does not decorate: it inhabits. The moment you walk in, your eye goes straight to it. It becomes the natural focal point of the room, the element that puts everything else in order around it. The sofa, the table, the light suddenly seem to be in their rightful place, because one strong presence gives them a direction. It is exactly what walls covered in small frames lack: many images, no centre.

There is also a question of breathing room. A large wall canvas asks for a little emptiness around it, and that emptiness becomes a pause: the room feels calmer, more generous, almost quieter. And then there is presence, that sensation only a handmade painting can give when it is large enough for the material to be seen from across the room: the thickness of the oils, the layers of colour, the traces of the artist's hand. A print on canvas will never produce that effect. Here, every work is a one of a kind piece, painted in oils, delivered with its certificate of authenticity.

Why large formats are rare in an artist's body of work

In a painter's studio, very large canvases are always a minority. They call for a solid stretcher, a carefully prepared canvas, space to step back and look, and above all a sweeping gesture: you do not fill 120 cm of colour from the wrist, you paint with the whole arm, sometimes with the whole body. It is a commitment an artist only makes when she knows where she is going.

Régine Gardan painted more than two hundred works over the course of her life. Out of that entire catalogue, only these seven canvases reach 100 to 120 cm: they are the largest we have, and there will be no others. So we will not promise you an endless choice, because that would be untrue. We offer you something rarer: the most ambitious formats of a lifetime of painting, the ones where her colour expresses itself most freely. Her son, who keeps this site alive as her legacy, looks after each of them until it finds its wall. To learn about her journey and her way of painting, discover the artist.

Which wall and which ceiling height for an XXL painting

A canvas of 100 to 120 cm comes into its own on a clear wall at least two metres wide: above a sofa, a sideboard or a headboard, or on its own across a large stretch of wall, in an entrance hall, a living room, along a staircase. A simple rule to picture it: above a piece of furniture, the artwork sits comfortably when it covers about two thirds of its width.

As for height, a standard room of 2.50 m welcomes these formats very well: place the centre of the canvas at about 1.60 m from the floor, at eye level, and the balance comes naturally. Under high ceilings, in an older house or a converted workshop, a very large format feels entirely natural: it is what brings the volume back to a human scale. And if your wall is a little narrower, our collection of large format abstract paintings gathers slightly more compact canvases, designed for the same interiors.

How is an XXL canvas delivered?

Each painting is packed with the greatest care, corners protected and canvas shielded from moisture, then shipped with its invoice and its certificate of authenticity. Delivery is free throughout the European Union. When it arrives, lay the parcel flat, open it calmly and handle the canvas by the edges of the stretcher, never by pressing on the painted surface. Take a moment to look at it in daylight: oil paint reveals its relief and its nuances far better in person than on a screen.

How do you hang a painting over one metre wide?

A canvas on a stretcher is light for its size: two hooks or two wall plugs suited to your wall are enough in most cases. Always choose two fixing points rather than one, and the canvas will stay perfectly straight over time. Ask someone to help you try it in place first: one person holds the work, the other steps back and judges. Simply keep it away from direct sunlight and nearby heat sources, and your oversized abstract painting will pass through the years without moving.