Artwork Description

Title: Harmonious Cross 3×3
Artist: Reiner Kallhardt
Date: n.d.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 39.4 x 39.4 in (100 x 100 cm) (each canvas)

1. Artwork Identification
Harmonious Cross 3×3 is a striking polyptych by Reiner Kallhardt, composed of nine equally sized canvases arranged in a three-by-three grid. Each canvas presents a unique variation of a black cross motif set against a white field. The progression of visual density and layering—from sparse vertical-horizontal bars to increasingly compact grid formations—evokes a rhythmic meditation on structure, order, and transformation.

2. Artistic Style and Influences
Rooted in the traditions of Concrete Art and systematic abstraction, Kallhardt’s visual language is characterized by rigorous geometry and monochrome clarity. The stark black forms recall the pioneering abstraction of Malevich’s Suprematism while engaging the precise logic of Bauhaus and the constructive geometry of Max Bill. This series in particular reveals affinities with Op Art and Minimalism, where visual tension is achieved through proportion, repetition, and spatial contrast.

3. Historical Context
Although undated, the work reflects Kallhardt’s mature phase, in which he deepened his exploration of modularity, mathematical variation, and visual harmony. Harmonious Cross 3×3 resonates with European postwar efforts to redefine aesthetics through rational design, offering a meditative response to a chaotic century through clarity and systemic control. It stands as a testament to the post-Concrete generation’s intellectual and visual pursuits.

4. Provenance
Provenance documentation can be provided upon contact.

5. Condition and Conservation
All nine canvases are reported to be in very good condition. The black and white surfaces are consistent in tone and application, with no signs of fading, cracking, or discoloration. The modular arrangement remains crisp and optically unified.

6. Artistic Significance
This nine-part composition exemplifies Kallhardt’s architectural sensibility and mastery of formal abstraction. Through a restrained palette and mathematically varied permutations, he achieves visual music—a balance between uniformity and deviation. Harmonious Cross 3×3 is both conceptually rich and visually rigorous, making it a definitive piece in Kallhardt’s oeuvre and an exceptional representation of mid-to-late 20th-century geometric abstraction.