Artwork Description

Title: 9 und 16 in 25
Artist: Reiner Kallhardt
Date: 2002
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 39.4 x 39.4 in (100 x 100 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Reiner Kallhardt’s 9 und 16 in 25 is a striking oil on canvas that measures 100 x 100 cm, composed of 25 vividly articulated square modules. Each section features a grid of nested and overlapping squares in brilliant rainbow hues—red, yellow, green, and blue—set against a jet-black background. The precise, systematic distribution of color and form reflects Kallhardt’s refined approach to structure and visual balance.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This work belongs firmly to the lineage of Concrete Art, where geometry, order, and chromatic experimentation take center stage. The logic of the composition—referencing multiples of 9, 16, and 25—suggests a numerically grounded aesthetic rooted in the tradition of artists such as Max Bill, Richard Paul Lohse, and the wider Bauhaus-influenced constructivist milieu. Kallhardt’s meticulous modulation of color through mathematical patterning aligns his practice with post-war European abstraction and Op Art.

3. Historical Context
Completed in 2002, 9 und 16 in 25 marks Kallhardt’s continued engagement with themes of seriality and visual logic at the turn of the 21st century. It emerges from a broader context of geometric revivalism in contemporary European painting, where artists revisited mid-century abstraction with new emphasis on chromatic precision and psychological resonance. The piece also reflects contemporary interest in modularity and perceptual play, speaking to both formalist rigor and visual delight.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The canvas remains taut and structurally sound, and the surface is free from abrasions or losses. The colors retain their original intensity, and the paint layers are stable with no observed areas of cracking or restoration.

6. Artistic Significance
9 und 16 in 25 exemplifies Reiner Kallhardt’s mastery of visual logic and chromatic interplay. It stands as a testament to his lifelong commitment to Concrete and Optical Art, offering a compelling visual field that rewards both analytical scrutiny and aesthetic contemplation. As part of his early 2000s oeuvre, this work highlights Kallhardt’s role in maintaining and evolving the principles of geometric abstraction into the new millennium.