Alfréd Réth (1884-1966) - Abstraction sphérique

A fine small, typical drawing, in very good condition, by Alfred Reth, actually Alfred Roth, who was born in 1884 in Budapest (Hungary). Son of a doctor, he settled in Paris in 1905, after traveling in Italy for a long time. Living in Montparnasse, he frequented the Jacques Emile Blanche academy there, where he received drawing instruction. During a second trip to Italy, Alfred Reth studied for several months at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He returned to Paris in 1907. The Cubist influence dominates his works—portraits, still lifes, landscapes. Long intrigued by Indian art, which he discovered in museums, Reth decided in 1908 to study it scientifically. He attempted to introduce, from this study, mystical principles into his work. A very important exhibition devoted to him at the Der Sturm Gallery in Berlin in 1913 where the artist showed more than eighty cubist paintings and drawings; Reth’s originality in Cubism lay in seeking “the balance of the masses between them.” Alfred Reth joined the French army at the outbreak of war in 1914, but was soon discharged. The artist participated in collective exhibitions from 1910 in France and abroad, notably at Parisian annual Salons (Salon d’Automne, Salon des Indépendants, Salon des Tuileries, etc.). He would be a founding member of the Salon Abstraction-Création and the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles. Many Parisian galleries showed his work (Galerie Denise René, Galerie Berthe Weill, etc.). During and after the First World War, Alfred Reth returned to a more realistic approach to painting. It even seems that he stopped painting for a few years until 1920. In 1920, Reth resurfaced with the boldest elements of his artistic past, leading to plastic solutions that approach the chromatic circles of Robert Delaunay. His work then gradually and decisively evolved toward near-total abstraction, with no longer any concern for representation, association, or equivalence. Alferd Reth died in Paris on 15 September 1966, shortly after an exhibition devoted to him in Chicago.”} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }