AD REINHARDT
Ad Reinhardt (1913-1967) Untitled
oil on canvas 40 x 32 in. 1949 Provenance: Estate of the Artist Barbara Mathes Gallery, New York Marlborough Gallery, New York Private Collection, Arizona Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York Private Collection, New York Private Collection, California
Early work from Reinhardt is Abstract Expressionist in style, but after 1949 he sought a more ordered and pure form of abstraction. He created this painting during this pivotal period of exploration before developing an increasingly monochromatic and minimalist aesthetic. In the late 1940s, Reinhardt became interested in East Asian philosophy. Inspired by Chinese and Japanese calligraphic brushwork, Reinhardt avoided reworking the paint after applying it, creating spontaneous and structured compositions.
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