Claus Bertermann (1965) - Parc Fermé

Artist: Claus Bertermann

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.bertermann.art

The story behind "Parc Fermé"

The race is over. The car has been pushed into parc fermé, the closed area where no one may touch it until the stewards have checked every part. In front of it stands the driver, relaxed and upright. In one hand he holds his helmet, the other rests casually in his trouser pocket. He looks straight at us with the calm of a man who has nothing to hide.

And here is the twist: the stewards will check every bolt, every litre and every kilo, and they will find nothing. The one part that made the difference is not in the car at all. He is carrying it in his hand: the helmet, and the head that goes inside it. In parc fermé the car is locked away; the real secret of the race walks out freely, hand in pocket.

About the artist

Claus Bertermann holds a Master’s degree in Architecture (TU Munich) and is an internationally collected contemporary artist, with more than 1,000 large-format works in private and institutional collections, including a monumental triptych at the Technical University of Munich. His abstract paintings have reached top auction results such as €18,900 at C. h. r. i. s. t. i. e´s Paris and €15,240 at S. o. t. h. e. b. y´s Cologne, with further sales at V. a. n. H. a. m, A. r. t. c. u. r. i. a. l and D. o. r. o. t. h. e. u. m.

In 2026 he started a radically new figurative series: people and scenes in bold, emotional colour, inspired by German Expressionism. First he paints the background with loose, broad brushstrokes. Then he draws the figures on top with oil stick, in clear and confident lines.

Visual description

The driver stands in the centre of the canvas, life-size, with orange hair, a face in green and blue tones and a direct, steady gaze. He wears a blue jacket with orange pockets and bright orange trousers, holding a yellow and green helmet at his side, his other hand in his pocket. Behind him, a low turquoise sports-racing car stretches across the full width of the canvas, with two wheels with orange hubs, set against a dark sky on the left, blue on the right and blocks of orange and red. Signed in magenta oil stick at the lower right.

One detail for those who look twice: the green of his face returns in the helmet he carries. Man and helmet are painted as one: the head and the place where it belongs.

Why it is worth the price

A large, museum-scale painting from the first year of a radically new series, and part of the motor-racing cycle of 2026 ("No Halo", "Eau Rouge", "Parc Fermé", "Pit Stop" and "Stranded on Track"). Its life-size standing figure gives it real presence on the wall: the driver meets you at eye level. A rare crossover piece, as appealing to collectors of contemporary figurative painting as to lovers of motorsport history, and a confident, quietly witty work that anchors any room.

Key details for collectors

– Title: Parc Fermé
– Year: 2026
– Dimensions (H x W): 150 x 200 cm (59 × 79 inches)
– Medium: Acrylic and oil stick on canvas
– Original, one-of-a-kind artwork
– Signed by the artist on the front and back side; title, year and the artist's full name inscribed on the back
– Certificate of authenticity included
– Condition: excellent; all surface irregularities are intentional and part of the artist's process
– Sold unframed and without stretcher bars; shipped rolled for safe international transport
– Additional white border of approx. 10 cm (approx. 4 inches) on all sides, allowing professional restretching on museum-quality stretcher bars up to 6 cm (approx. 2.4 inches) deep for a clean, frameless, gallery-style presentation
– Professional stretching is the responsibility of the buyer
– Professional packaging and worldwide shipping with premium carriers such as UPS

Please note regarding the room views:

Some of the photographs show the painting digitally placed in an interior. These room views are AI-visualisations, created to give an impression of scale and presence only — they are not photographs of the actual work hanging in a room. Both the size proportions and the colours shown in them may differ from the original. The binding references are the dimensions stated above (H x W) and the studio photograph of the painting itself. Please also note that colours may appear differently depending on screen calibration.