Most people choose a painting by its subject and only think about size when it arrives. Then a beautiful piece looks lost on a big wall, or crowds a narrow one. A few minutes with a tape measure prevents that. This guide gives simple sizing rules and applies them to the real canvas sizes in Chaya Koritz’s collection of original Judaic paintings, so you can picture each one in your own room.
How to read the sizes on her artwork pages
Each artwork page lists its size in centimetres and inches, for example 100×80 cm (39×32 in). Judging by the images, the first number is the height and the second the width: Threads of Time: Tallit and Tradition, at 100×80 cm, is an upright painting, while the 90×140 cm works are wide. If a piece matters for an exact spot, ask the studio to confirm its orientation and measurements before you plan around it.
Three rules of thumb
Interior designers lean on a few common guidelines. Treat them as starting points rather than laws:
- Above furniture, aim for about two-thirds of its width. A painting roughly two-thirds as wide as the sofa, sideboard or bed below it looks anchored rather than floating.
- Hang the centre near eye level. Around 145 to 155 cm (57 to 61 in) from the floor to the centre of the painting is the usual range on an open wall.
- Leave a gap above furniture. Roughly 15 to 25 cm (6 to 10 in) between the top of a sofa or headboard and the bottom of the painting keeps the two visually connected.
A quick test before you decide: mark the outline of the canvas on the wall with painter’s tape or a sheet of paper cut to size, and live with it for a day.
Above a sofa
If your sofa is around 210 cm wide, two-thirds is 140 cm, and several of her works are made for exactly that wall. Where Souls Meet: A Gathering at the Kotel measures 90×140 cm, with a pale, airy palette of cream, gold and gentle grey that keeps a large canvas feeling light. Golden Jerusalem is the most panoramic piece at 80×140 cm; its lower height suits a living room where the space between sofa and ceiling is limited.
Above a bed
The same two-thirds rule works over a headboard. Above a bed 160 to 180 cm wide, it points to a painting roughly 105 to 120 cm across. Where Time Stands Still: A Vision of the Beit HaMikdash, at 80×120 cm, fits the upper end of that range, and its soft palette of muted golds, pale stones and gentle blues is a calm choice for a bedroom.
Narrow walls, hallways and between windows
Narrow walls call for upright or square paintings, because a wide canvas squeezed into a tight space looks cramped. Threads of Time (100×80 cm) and Living Light: Contemporary Judaica Art (90×80 cm) are both upright. Wrapped in Faith, Bathed in Gold is a square 80×80 cm in deep blues with gold accents, and a square is forgiving: it sits comfortably beside a doorway, at the end of a hallway or on a narrow wall between two windows.
Studies, dining nooks and smaller rooms
The smallest listed work is Jerusalem Beneath the Light of the Menorah at 70×90 cm, a wide painting in muted golds, pale blues and soft lavenders. It suits a study, a dining corner or a bedroom wall without taking over the room.
Large walls and open-plan rooms
In a large or open-plan room a small painting disappears, and this is where the 100×150 cm canvases earn their size. Golden Moments at the Wall is one of them, with layered brushwork and gold leaf that reveal different details depending on the angle and the light. Kever Rachel: Where Prayers Rise and Sacred Stones, Modern Soul share the same 100×150 cm size. On a wall with no furniture beneath, hang the centre near eye level and leave generous space around the painting.
Remember the frame
The listed size describes the painting itself, and a frame adds to it, so allow for that when you measure. Her FAQ explains that for international orders the studio recommends framing in your home country: paintings and prints are shipped rolled so you can take them to a local framer. Framing options are available in Israel, and a framed work can be sent abroad, though the FAQ notes this significantly increases shipping costs.
When nothing fits exactly
Some walls are simply unusual: a long corridor, a sloped ceiling, a space between built-in shelves. If none of the existing sizes works, a commissioned painting starts from a description of your space, subject and colours. Send your measurements and a photo of the wall, and ask what is possible. If you are deciding between two works, contact Chaya Koritz with your wall size and she can help you choose.
