Studie 445 1941

Hans Hinterreiter created this painted study in 1941, using a geometric framework and a jeweled colour palette. The painting seems to have come into being slowly, methodically—each geometric shape carefully placed in relation to the others, building up through color and repetition. I can imagine Hinterreiter patiently measuring and mixing, adjusting the colors just so. I wonder if he ever felt boxed in by the rigid structure, or whether he found freedom within those constraints? Maybe he even created the constraints in order to be free? The surface is smooth and flat. No impasto, no visible brushstrokes to distract from the hard-edged forms. The texture comes from the colors themselves—how they sit together, how they vibrate and hum. Each stroke builds on another’s creativity, inspiring the next step. It’s a reminder that artists are always in conversation. We build on what came before, remixing and reinterpreting. And like all good conversations, the best paintings embrace ambiguity, allowing for multiple meanings to emerge.