Tanz der Vampire in Babylon 2003 (nr. 5, version 2)
Reiner Kallhardt
Artwork Details
Artwork Description
Title: Tanz der Vampire in Babylon 2003 (nr. 5, version 2)
Artist: Reiner Kallhardt
Date: 2003
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 47.2 x 47.2 in (120 x 120 cm)
1. Artwork Identification
Reiner Kallhardt’s Tanz der Vampire in Babylon 2003 (nr. 5, version 2) is a vivid, large-scale oil painting composed of modular squares and rectangles rendered in saturated red, green, and earthy brown hues. Executed in 2003, the work measures 120 x 120 cm and features Kallhardt’s hallmark grid-based structure, meticulously ordered yet visually dynamic. The composition engages the viewer with a dance of shifting forms and alternating spatial rhythms, guided by the artist’s masterful chromatic sequencing.
2. Artistic Style and Influences
The painting is a striking example of Kallhardt’s commitment to Concrete Art, rooted in geometric abstraction and the visual clarity of non-representational form. His use of sharp-edged color fields and mathematically arranged elements recalls the systematic rigor of Max Bill and the vibrational contrasts of Victor Vasarely. In Tanz der Vampire in Babylon, the visual vocabulary evokes both precision and play, hinting at a narrative encoded within its Title: while remaining abstract in execution.
3. Historical Context
Completed in 2003, this work belongs to a period in which Kallhardt re-engaged with high-contrast color pairings and modular formal repetition. The Title:—Dance of the Vampires in Babylon—adds a layer of interpretive intrigue, inviting associations with mythology, modernity, and cinematic fantasy. While the painting does not illustrate a literal scene, its Title: serves as a conceptual framework through which to consider themes of chaos and control, order and seduction, within urban or mythological contexts.
4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.
5. Condition and Conservation
The painting is in very good condition. The oil surface is stable and retains its original vibrancy with no evidence of cracking, paint loss, or restoration. The canvas is properly stretched and the edges and corners are well preserved, requiring no immediate conservation measures.
6. Artistic Significance
Tanz der Vampire in Babylon stands out for its bold chromatic tension and cerebral Title:, making it both visually impactful and conceptually compelling. As part of Kallhardt’s broader body of modular and serial works, it reflects his disciplined exploration of formal language while also offering a rare poetic entry point via its evocative naming. This piece will appeal to collectors of geometric abstraction and those intrigued by the intersection of visual logic and layered narrative suggestion.