HANS HARTUNG | T1957-8

Galerie de France, Paris, 1958
Galerie Ariel, Paris, 1962
Trevor Peck, Montreal
Sale: Sotheby's, London, Post War and Contemporary Art, 30 November 1989, Lot 621
Private Collection
Sale: Sotheby's London, Contemporary Art Part I, 30 November 1994, Lot 17
Private Collection, United Kingdom

Minneapolis, Walker Art Center, School of Paris, 1959
Pittsburg, Carnegie Institute, The Pittsburg International Exhibition, 1958-59; catalogue, no. 201, illustrated
Paris, Galerie Ariel, 1962

Umbro Apollonio, Hans Hartung, New York, 1966, no. 139, illustrated

The colours are fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration although the overall tonality is brighter in the original work. There are faint wear marks to each of the four corners and a slight discoloration to the lower edge. The upper left quadrant presents a carefully restored tiny area of a former small cut (approx. 0,5 cm), visible only the reverse of the canvas upon very close inspection. Two small dents are located in the upper left quadrant and one in the center of the composition, most notably under razing light. The black area in the center of the composition presents tiny cracks, visible under close inspection only. This work is in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

They are explosions, eruptions of signs that fixate the impetus of the painter's hand on generally neutral colour backgrounds, or sometimes, more rarely, on large areas slightly circled or circumscribed in the manner of Rothko. (...) In his paintings from 1955-1959, the role of the background seemed only that of support, a way to highlight graphic signs, but the study of this sequence exposes it as the result of a very careful and subtle work. If graphic brush strokes sometimes resemble Chinese calligraphy, this dialogue with the background, with the entire surface of the painting, shows a completely different purpose, and evokes the structural simplification through which teenage Hartung used to reduce Goya or Rembrandt to tensions of forms.


Pierre Daix



This work is registered in the archives of the Fondation Hartung Bergman. It will be included in the forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné of Hans Hartung currently being prepared by the Fondation Hartung Bergman.