Ralf Altrieth (1966) - Peu et moins

Ralf Altrieth (Heilbronn, 1966)

Little and Less, 2017

Mixed media on canvas, mounted on its original stretcher.
55 × 46 cm
Ready to hang (cord on the back)
Signed, dated and titled on the frame.

Sold by Recodier Art, France
Certificate of authenticity included.

Description

Created in 2017, at the core of the 2016–2017 period which today is almost entirely in private collections, 'Peu et moins' is one of the few works still available from this important phase of Ralf Altrieth's body of work.

The composition immediately asserts itself with a large blue form, dense and enveloping, that shelters a stylized figure folded in on itself. This compact silhouette, almost silent, creates an immediate presence, both strong and restrained.

The light gray background, deliberately spare and traversed by vertical streaks, enhances this sense of isolation. Nothing incidental: the space is simple, focused, which gives the figure its full intensity.

Inside, colorful fragments—pink, ochre, reds, blues—structured by bold black lines, introduce a livelier vibration. The work plays on this duality: a calm outer shell that contains a more fluid inner energy.

By its economy of means and its clear construction, this painting immediately draws the eye and transforms the space in which it is hung. Its strength does not lie in the accumulation of effects, but in the density of its presence.

A singular, focused work that asserts itself with sobriety and depth.

Very good state of preservation.
Original work created in 2017.
The frame visible in some photos is shown for illustration purposes. Since the sides are painted, the artwork can be hung as is, without a frame.

Biography

Ralf Altrieth, a German painter and musician based in France, develops a body of work characterized by gestural expression and spontaneous pictorial writing. Active for more than thirty years, he regularly exhibits in France and Germany.