Hans Hartung is one of the most important figures in 20th-century abstract art and the founder of lyrical abstraction.
Born in Germany, the artist moved to France in the 1930s in response to the Nazi regime in his country and became a naturalised French citizen after the war. He fought on the French side in the Foreign Legion, losing a leg in the process. After the war, Hartung devoted his life to art and became the pioneer of a new form of abstraction.
Object
Art book
Printing technique
Cover: foil printing
Interior: LE-UV offset
Paper
Arctic Volume White 150g/m2
Although abstract art had already been a familiar concept for several years at the beginning of the 20th century, with artists such as Mondrian, Kandinsky and Malevich, Hartung wanted to give his own interpretation to this art form from an early stage (his first abstract works date from 1922). He wanted to liberate abstract art from its rigid and theoretical constraints and restore the freedom and personality of the artist to its rightful place. Hartung thus became the father of this new form of abstract art, lyrical abstraction.
This style of painting is characterised by free and rapid lines without any figurative suggestion. Despite the sometimes seemingly chaotic energy that emanates from these works, Hartung’s lack of control is merely an illusion. His lines were very deliberate and controlled, even based on the classical proportions of the golden ratio.
Samuel Vanhoegaerden Gallery
Samuel’s gallery was founded in 2000 and specialises in modern and post-war art. He has organised solo exhibitions of Belgian artists such as Panamarenko, Christian Dotremont, Bram Bogart and Fred Eerdekens. Samuel Vanhoegaerden has also presented work by international artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, Alexander Calder, George Rickey, Sam Francis and James Ensor.
Hartung was also an innovator in technical terms, using homemade tools such as spatulas, special paintbrushes, branches and paint sprayers, and working on baryta cardboard, for example, which enabled him to achieve a lasting and stronger contrast in his colours.
During his lifetime, Hans Hartung was already highly respected by fellow artists such as Mark Rothko, Georges Mathieu and Pierre Soulages, and his influence on art history is becoming increasingly clear. In recent years, this has been reflected in the growing interest in his work by major museums, international galleries and the global art market. This exhibition demonstrates that Hans Hartung deserves his prominent place in 20th-century art history as the father of lyrical abstraction and an innovator of abstract art.
