Ralf Altrieth - Sans titre - XL

Acrylic and spray on sturdy paper, ivory tone
105 x 75 cm (with margins), 100 x 70 cm (without margins)

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

DESCRIPTION:

This original work on paper by Ralf Altrieth unfolds a universe populated by hybrid figures and characters who appear, overlap, and transform as the eye moves. Some seem recognizable, others remain intentionally undefined. Yet all seem to have their own character, as if they belonged to a world whose rules only they know.

Spontaneous lines, flat areas, and touches of color mingle in a dense composition, where the gesture remains clearly visible. The spray adds a fine, grainy surface texture—almost tactile—that contrasts with the bolder lines and color blocks of the drawing.

Between free figuration, instinctive drawing, and graphic poetry, the work does not seek to tell a precise story. Instead, it invites the imagination to establish its own associations. The eye moves from one creature to another, discovers a face, a silhouette, or an unexpected detail, then returns to the whole, which seems to recompose with each observation.

Framed with a wide mat, it takes on its full dimension and leaves around it a breathing space that underscores the richness of the drawing. Both expressive, mysterious, and playful, it brings a singular artistic presence to a contemporary interior, never reducing itself to mere decorative effect.

At the border between drawing and painting, this series testifies to a deeply personal language of Ralf Altrieth: a world in perpetual metamorphosis, where a few lines suffice to give birth to an entire world.

CRITIQUE:

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

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

BIOGRAPHY:

Ralf Altrieth (Heilbronn, 1966) is a Franco-German painter and musician recognized for his expressive and spontaneous universe, at the border between figuration and abstraction. Trained in his teens with painter Georg Schaible and then at the Nürtingen Art Academy in the late 1980s, his work is distinguished by rare pictorial energy and a particularly sensitive language. His works are today in numerous private collections around the world.

SHIPPING:

The work will be shipped rolled in a sturdy tube to ensure safe transport.
It is entrusted to an express courier delivering to the home, with full tracking and signature on delivery, to guarantee the best protection of the artwork until it is handed over to the recipient.

NOTE ABOUT THE MARGINS:
There are two presentation options for this work:
- With mat: the outer margins of the paper will be concealed by the mat. Your local framer will handle this easily.
- Without mat, framed 70 × 100 cm (see display image): place the glass over the paper and trim the margins with a cutter. A pencil line makes the boundary easy to identify.

Note: The lifestyle images are presentation suggestions created with AI based on photos of the actual work. The actual object photos take precedence (the full work, macro details, and the back signature). Tones may vary slightly depending on your screen’s color profile.