107 - Hans Hartung (1904–1989) [item on temporary import*]

Hans Hartung (1904–1989) [item on temporary import*] P1974-G6 1974 Indian ink and pastel on baryta paper, signed, dated lower right, and mounted on panel 79 x 118 cm Provenance: > Galerie de France, Paris (acquired in 1979 by the current owner) > Private collection, Lebanon This work will be included in the catalogue raisonné currently being prepared by the Hartung-Bergman Foundation. We thank Mr. Hervé Coste de Champeron for the information he kindly provided. Condition Report: *Lot under temporary importation subject to 5.5% VAT (in addition to auction fees) if purchased by a tax resident of the European Union This 1974 work marks a pivotal period in Hans Hartung’s artistic maturity. The previous year, in 1973, the artist and his wife, Anna-Eva Bergman, settled permanently into their spacious villa-studio on the hills above Antibes, designed by the artist himself in the midst of an olive grove. Bathed in Mediterranean light and equipped with a spacious and functional workspace, Hartung then embarked on a profound renewal of his artistic techniques. Throughout the 1970s, the painter gradually moved away from the incisive graphic style of previous decades in favor of a more atmospheric and gestural exploration of the medium. The P1974 series—in which the letter “P” denotes work on paper or cardboard—reflects this freedom of execution. The smooth surface—often baryta cardboard chosen for its durability and its ability to resist immediate absorption of pigment—allowed the artist to experiment with the speed of his brushstrokes and the fluidity of the mediums. In this composition, Hartung emphasizes the immediacy of the pictorial action. Whether through broad brushstrokes, splatters, or incisions into the fresh paint, each mark retains the physical memory of the movement that created it. Far from any narrative intent, P1974-G6 illustrates the artist’s constant quest: to convey energetic forces and spatial tension solely through the interplay of shadow, light, and the speed of the stroke.