Ackermann, Max

Description:

Berlin, 1887 - Unterlengenhardt, 1975
185 x 129 cm, R.
"Farbturm", 1957 - 1959. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated in oil lower left; additionally signed, dated and titled in oil on the reverse of the stretcher.
Galerie Döbele, Stuttgart.
Collection Monika and Horst Bülow, Leonberg, acquired there in 1987.
Exhibition:
"Max Ackermann 1887 - 1975. Zum 100. Geburtstag", Galerie der Stadt Stuttgart, Stuttgart 1987, no. 101 (with full-page colour fig.).
With "Farbturm" (1957 - 1959) Max Ackermann presents a work of exceptional artistic density and monumental presence. Its commanding format of 185 × 129 cm gives the painting a representative standing within his oeuvre.
The composition is determined by a clear vertical articulation. Broad chromatic bands in blue, turquoise, and violet structure the surface, while a high-contrast strip of black, white, yellow, and orange accentuates the center. This concentration on the middle generates a dynamic crescendo that gives the painting its titular character as a "Farbturm" ("tower of colour").
Striking is the charged balance between calm and movement. Sweeping modulations of blue establish a harmonious ground, while luminous accents act like pulsating impulses. A living rhythm emerges that repeatedly draws the eye back to the center.
"Farbturm" exemplifies Ackermann’s ability to deploy colour as an autonomous expressive medium. Not depiction but the independent effect of colour and form stands at the fore. Here the concerns Ackermann had pursued since the 1920s condense: the close relation of painting, music, and movement, and the search for a pictorial language opening spiritual dimensions.
Combining lyrical colour poetry with constructive clarity, Ackermann achieves a composition of impressive unity - an inner architecture of colour that is at once harmonious, rhythmic, and tensely alive, and a compelling testament to his mature artistry.