Ralf Altrieth - Sans titre - XL

Acrylic on heavy paper, ivory tone
75 x 105 cm (with white margins), 70 x 100 cm (without margins: see remark below)

Signed and dated on the back by the artist
Certificate of authenticity signed by Ralf Altrieth

DESCRIPTION:

A lush universe where the imagination seems to come to life before our eyes.

On paper, Ralf Altrieth unfolds here a world populated by strange creatures, fragmented figures, mischievous gazes, and shapes that appear to emerge freely from one another. Nothing is entirely defined, yet each appearance has its own character. The eye shifts from one character to another, discovers a detail, a gaze, a silhouette—then returns, drawn by a new presence.

The acrylic, applied in brushstrokes, flat areas, lines and spontaneous gestures, blends with color overlays and material transfers that enrich the surface of the paper. The vivid colors cross and respond to one another, while the white spaces give the whole a distinctive breath. The composition feels free and instinctive, yet it is threaded with a true sense of rhythm and balance.

Between drawing, painting and graphic writing, the work unfolds a living poetry: it first attracts with its energy and colors, then holds the gaze with the multitude of details that gradually appear. It never yields everything at first glance.

Framed with a wide mat, the painting takes on its full dimension and naturally finds its place in a contemporary interior, where its free and singular character brings an artistic presence that is both expressive and playful.

At the boundary between free figuration, instinctive drawing and abstraction, this series bears witness to a deeply personal approach by Ralf Altrieth: a painting with no obvious rules, where imagination, humor and gesture meet with a communicative freedom.

CRITIQUE:

"There is much poetry in this painting, as in all of the artist’s works. They are populated with narrative codes and fantastical tales. In this sense, Ralf Altrieth’s pictorial poems are a pure childlike chant... But the most astonishing thing manifested in these paintings is a contagious tenderness for the states of mind in human beings."
— Dr. Friedhelm Häring, museum director and art historian

"His gesture and color-based writing describe a world open to new voices and experiences never attempted. His canvases and works on paper demonstrate that painting remains a major expression on the contemporary scene."
— Laurent Puech, art historian and curator

BIOGRAPHY:

Ralf Altrieth (Heilbronn, 1966) is a Franco-German painter and musician known for his expressive and spontaneous universe, straddling figuration and abstraction. Trained in his teens with painter Georg Schaible and then at the Nürtingen University of Fine Arts in the late 1980s, his work stands out for its rare pictorial energy and a particularly sensitive language. His works are today in numerous private collections around the world.

NOTE ABOUT THE MARGINS:

The outer margins of the paper show a few marks related to the removal of masking tape. They are completely normal and affect only the unpainted areas. They will be hidden by the mat if you choose that method, or can be removed by trimming the work from 75 × 105 cm to 70 × 100 cm (see display visuals). A line drawn in pencil makes the boundary easy to identify. Your local framer can easily handle this.

SHIPPING:

The work will be shipped rolled in a sturdy tube to ensure safe transport.
It is entrusted to an express carrier with home delivery, full tracking and signature on delivery, to guarantee the best protection of the work until handover.

Note: The display images are presentation suggestions created with AI based on photos of the actual work. The photos of the real object are definitive (close-ups, the complete work, back and profile photos). Colors may vary slightly depending on your screen’s color profile.