Ralf Altrieth (1966) - The whole thing

Ralf Altrieth (Heilbronn, 1966)

'The whole thing', 2011

Acrylic on canvas
Mounted on its original stretcher
72 x 60 cm

Signed, dated and titled on the back by the artist.

Sold by Recodier Art, France
Certificate of authenticity included

DESCRIPTION:

With 'The whole thing', Ralf Altrieth creates an intense and expressive painting where several figures seem to emerge and overlay one another. The gaze is immediately drawn to a large central eye, around which a constellation of shapes, faces and signs is organized.

The composition blends quick gestures, bold black lines and contrasting colors — deep reds, luminous blues and dark tones — which give the whole piece an almost raw energy. The figures appear and then transform within the material, as if the image were built directly under the impulse of the gesture.

From a distance, the work strikes with its graphic power and the magnetic presence of this central gaze. Up close, the surface reveals a richness of textures, superpositions and traces of painting work.

With its 72 × 60 cm format, the canvas has a strong and expressive visual presence while remaining easy to integrate into a home or private collection.

A characteristic work of Ralf Altrieth’s free pictorial writing, where shapes, figures and signs come together to form a dense and living composition.

Note:
An old date written on the back was crossed out by the artist, probably linked to an earlier state of the canvas before its current realization in 2011. A slight mark (see photo) is visible on the back of the canvas but does not appear on the front or on the sides and does not affect the presentation of the work.

BIOGRAPHY:

Ralf Altrieth (born in 1966 in Heilbronn, Germany) is a painter and musician. Trained at the Nürtingen Art Academy (1987–1989), he has for more than thirty years developed a body of work marked by gestural expression and spontaneous pictorial writing. He has exhibited in France and Germany, notably at Galerie Hartmut Beck (Erlangen), MAC Paris and Galerie Théo de Sein (Paris). His work is rooted in an expressionist tradition where line and color become a form of intuitive writing.

SHIPPING:

Tracked shipping with signature. The artwork will be carefully packed in a rigid, custom-made package by the artist (protective board, bubble wrap, cardboard reinforcements, etc.) to ensure safe transport.