Max Bill

signed bill and dated 1959-67 (on the reverse); signed max bill, titled, dated 1959-67 and inscribed An adolf max vogt bern 6-4-1968/max bill zürich (on the stretcher)

33 by 33 cm.

13 by 13 in.

Adolf Max Vogt, Zurich (acquired as a gift from the artist in 1968)

Private Collection, Switzerland (by descent from the above in 2013)

This work is registered in the Max, Binia und Jakob Bill Stiftung, Adligenswil.

Zwei weisse Drittel is a prime example of Max Bill’s purely rational approach to creating works of art driven by principles of proportion, colour and composition. As the artist stated: "I am of the opinion that it is possible to develop an art largely on the basis of mathematical thinking." Using horizontal and vertical lines in combination with block colour planes, Max Bill creates his highly personal and instantly recognisable language of non-representational art rooted in the heritage of Theo van Doesburg and Georges Vantongerloo. Max Bill was especially close with Vantongerloo and they collaborated extensively throughout their life.

The concept of the present work was conceived in 1959 and came into full fruition in 1967. During this time in the mid-60s, Max Bill was at the height of his artistic career and began to celebrate commercial success both in Europe and abroad. His first exhibition in America was held at Staempfli Gallery in New York in 1963 and introduced the artist to an international audience well versed with and receptive to non-objective art. Emboldened by the positive reception of his work, Max Bill further pushed the boundaries of his Concrete compositions with an increased focused on colour. As is perfectly demonstrated in this work, his use of primary colours becomes the principal force of the composition. It perfectly embodies the meaning of Concrete Art as summarised by van Doesburg: “Nothing is more concrete, more real than a line, a colour, a plane.”

This selling exhibition marks the first time Zwei weisse Drittel is presented for sale. The work has been in the same private, family collection since it was gifted by Max Bill to the Swiss art historian and critic, Adolf Max Vogt in 1968. As professor of Art History and Architecture at the ETH in Zurich, he published regularly on the Modern Masters such as Le Corbusier and Bill. The year the present work was gifted to Vogt, he and the artist collaborated on the exhibition and catalogue, Max Bill, Malerei und Plastik, 1928-1968, which was held at the Kunsthalle Bern in 1968.