7191 - Laabs, Hans

Laabs, Hans "Arena" Oil on canvas. 1971. 77.5 x 100.5 cm. Signed “Laabs” in red with a brush in the center right of the painting and dated; on the reverse, signed again “HANS LAABS” in black with a brush, inscribed “BERLIN,” and titled in white with a brush on a black background. Using vibrant colors dominated by shades of red, pink, and ochre, Hans Laabs depicts the interior of a circus arena. In doing so, he almost completely eliminates the three-dimensionality of the pictorial space: the foreground and background merge on the surface, while the striking triangular shapes at the edge of the ring serve as an ornamental dividing line between the pictorial planes. Nevertheless, the scene remains recognizable as a representational image thanks to the vaguely suggested curtains and the shadowy clown figure. Provenance: Private collection, Berlin - Please request condition reports for the lots, as the condition is usually not specified in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.