Artwork Description

Title: Kreuze R1 – R4
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
Kreuze R1 – R4 is a bold four-part abstract series by German artist Reiner Kallhardt, executed in oil on canvas between 2011 and 2012. Each of the four square canvases measures 90 x 90 cm and features a meticulously structured matrix of vertical and horizontal elements, rendered in a saturated palette of red, green, and deep brown. Kallhardt's signature compositional logic—alternating zones of color fields and linear motifs—is apparent in the precise alignment of forms across all four canvases.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This suite exemplifies Kallhardt’s allegiance to the Concrete Art movement, drawing upon the lineage of geometric abstraction and systematic composition. His use of pure color and formal repetition invites comparison to the optical investigations of Victor Vasarely and the conceptual clarity of artists such as Max Bill. The chromatic contrast between vibrant reds and vivid greens is intensified by a matrix of black grid-like divisions, lending the compositions a rhythmic and almost musical sensibility.

3. Historical Context
Kreuze R1 – R4 was created during a period when Kallhardt was deeply engaged in serial form and modular color relationships, aligning his practice with the broader resurgence of interest in postwar abstraction in early 21st-century Europe. By employing traditional oil paint and deliberate craftsmanship, the artist consciously distances himself from digital aesthetics while drawing upon a vocabulary shaped by mid-century Constructivism and systems art.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
All four canvases are in very good condition. The surfaces are stable, with no visible cracks, losses, or signs of restoration. Paint layers are clean and rich in saturation, and the structural integrity of each canvas is intact. No conservation treatment is currently necessary.

6. Artistic Significance
Kreuze R1 – R4 occupies a prominent place in Kallhardt’s ongoing series of cross-structured works, encapsulating his exploration of chromatic tension and geometric balance. The visual dialogue between order and variation across the panels reveals the artist’s conceptual depth and technical mastery. As part of a broader body of work rooted in the legacy of Constructivist art, this series is both an aesthetic and intellectual achievement—highly desirable for collectors of contemporary European abstraction.