Hölzel, Adolf

Description:

Olmütz, 1853 - Stuttgart, 1934
25 x 32 cm, R.
Composition, c. 1915/1918. Pastel and pencil on paper. Verso with estate stamp.
Galerie Peter Fischinger, Stuttgart.
Collection Monika and Horst Bülow, Leonberg, acquired there in 1990.
Adolf Hölzel is considered one of the pioneers of abstract art in Germany. He turned away from representational painting early on and developed a visual language in which colour and form became autonomous vehicles of expression. As a teacher at the Stuttgart Academy, he had a profound influence on the next generation of artists, including Johannes Itten, Willi Baumeister, and Oskar Schlemmer.
The present composition was created between 1915 and 1918, a period during which Hölzel translated the principles of his colour theory into experimental pictorial solutions. Pastel and pencil merge into a vibrant surface dominated by strong blue and luminous orange. Black lines structure the field and provide a dynamic framework reminiscent of musical scores - an indication of the close connection between pictorial rhythm and musical harmony in Hölzel’s thinking.
The pastel technique allows for an intense, velvety colour effect, which in this work is particularly striking in the contrasts between warm and cool, light and dark. The composition avoids narrative elements; instead, it presents a pure arrangement of colour and form, powerfully demonstrating the autonomy of abstract art.
Hölzel did not view pictorial space as a depiction of the visible world, but as a spiritual space in which the forces of colour relate to one another. His belief that art arises from internal laws and the harmony of colour tones is exemplified in this work.
The estate stamp on the reverse side underscores the provenance of the piece and its place within the artist’s body of work. Compositions like this one are compelling evidence of Hölzel’s role as a trailblazer of abstraction in Germany-a role that positions him as a key link between the late 19th century and the avant-garde movements of the 20th century.