Hans Hartung

1904–1989

Hans Hartung (1904–1989) was a German-born French painter of the Ecole de Paris and a member of the lyrical abstraction movement, one of the leading European exponents of a wholly abstract expressionist painting style. Hartung is recognized for his carefully composed (almost calligraphic) black lines on colored backgrounds. His work incorporates an intricate vocabulary of movements and brushstrokes, giving the paintings a unique and astonishing look. Hartung used mixed media including oil, acrylic, and pastels on paper or canvas.

While considered a post-war painter, his career began before World War II. Early in his life, Hartung developed an interest in philosophy, astronomy, music, and religion before he turned to painting. He entered the Universität Leipzig, Germany, to study philosophy and art history but left to focus on painting at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf. Hartung visited an international art exhibition in Dresden in 1926, which exposed him to various movements that had emerged in France. This encounter with works by Braque, Gris, Matisse, and Picasso, along with the political development in Germany, influenced his move to Paris in 1926, where he spent most of his time until 1932.

Hartung’s first solo exhibition was at Galerie Lydia Conti in 1947 and followed by other early shows at Galerie de France, 1956, and Galerie Craven, 1956. His work was also shown internationally including Younger European Painters: A Selection at the Guggenheim Museum, 1953–54; a retrospective at Musée National d’art moderne, Paris, 1969; and solo exhibitions at Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1975, and Musée d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1980.

Artworks

Hans Hartung
(1904)
(1989)
Hans Hartung
(1904)
(1989)