Artwork Description

Title: Kreuze G1 – G4
Artist: Reiner Kallhardt
Date: 2011–2012
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 35.4 x 35.4 in (90 x 90 cm) each

1. Artwork Identification
Reiner Kallhardt’s Kreuze G1 – G4 comprises four square-format oil paintings executed between 2011 and 2012. Each canvas, measuring 90 x 90 cm, forms part of a cohesive yet rhythmically varied composition. Rendered in a bold triadic palette of golden yellow, violet, and olive green, the works explore the visual potential of modular geometric structures. Grids of offset rectangles and intersecting bands are arranged with precision, each variation subtly manipulating symmetry, rhythm, and density across the quartet.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Firmly grounded in the tradition of Concrete and Constructivist Art, Kallhardt’s practice aligns with the geometric rigor of Josef Albers, Max Bill, and members of the Zero Group. His Kreuze series—literally “crosses” in German—investigates repetition and variation through chromatic juxtapositions and calculated pattern shifts. The vibrant interplay of complementary hues in this set emphasizes optical tension and equilibrium, inviting both analytical and perceptual engagement.

3. Historical Context
The early 2010s saw renewed international interest in systematic abstraction, as digital aesthetics and modularity influenced both contemporary painting and graphic design. Kallhardt’s work emerges as a meditative counterpoint: handmade, precise, and resolutely analogue. This series also reflects a wider legacy of post-war European abstraction, particularly in Germany, where mathematical structure and visual clarity were embraced as forms of post-ideological artistic expression.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
All four canvases are preserved in very good condition. The surfaces present with consistent, well-maintained color fields and no visible craquelure, distortion, or restoration. The paint layers appear stable and retain their original vibrancy, with edges and corners intact.

6. Artistic Significance
Kreuze G1 – G4 stands as a strong example of Kallhardt’s mature visual language, showcasing his commitment to disciplined abstraction and color theory. The series exemplifies his ability to generate complexity through restraint, creating meditative visual rhythms that resonate with both the history of Modernism and the enduring appeal of geometric abstraction. For collectors and institutions alike, this quartet offers a refined statement of conceptual clarity and chromatic sophistication.