Artwork Description

Title: Dialektische Komposition 4–5 in 9
Artist: Reiner Kallhardt
Date: 2002
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 31.5 x 31.5 in (80 x 80 cm)

1. Artwork Identification
Reiner Kallhardt’s Dialektische Komposition 4–5 in 9 is a vibrant geometric oil painting executed on a square canvas measuring 80 x 80 cm. The composition is based on a rigorous grid of nine modules, each containing colorful outlined squares of varying densities against a stark black background. The interplay of hues—ranging from deep red to vivid yellow, green, and blue—creates a rhythmic, almost musical visual cadence, with chromatic shifts echoing across the structural matrix.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
This painting is rooted in the lineage of Concrete Art and Op Art, drawing on the legacies of Max Bill, Josef Albers, and the systematic abstraction associated with European Constructivism. Kallhardt’s methodical approach, marked by visual logic and structural precision, aligns with the aesthetics of the Bauhaus and Zurich Concrete Art movements. The Title: refers to a dialectical synthesis—“4–5 in 9”—suggesting a conceptual game of visual and numerical relationships.

3. Historical Context
Created in 2002, the work emerged during a period when abstract visual systems regained scholarly and curatorial attention. Kallhardt, active since the mid-20th century, continued to develop his rigorous visual language into the new millennium, refining the modular principles that characterize much of his mature output. This piece exemplifies his enduring engagement with structure, perception, and the chromatic spectrum within a digitally evolving visual culture.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
The artwork is overall in very good condition. There is a small area of paint flaking visible in the upper left corner, which may benefit from localized professional conservation. Apart from this, the surface and structural integrity of the canvas remain excellent, with vibrant color retention and no visible warping or discoloration.

6. Artistic Significance
Dialektische Komposition 4–5 in 9 encapsulates Kallhardt’s ongoing dialogue between numerical order and visual intuition. The deliberate framing of each square and the calibrated use of color serve both an aesthetic and intellectual function. This work stands as a dynamic example of Kallhardt’s oeuvre and will appeal to collectors and scholars interested in systematic abstraction, color theory, and the evolution of post-war European geometric art.