Adolf Luther
1912 - 1990
Schwarzes Materiebild. 1960.
Mixed media, thickly applied putty and oil paint on hardboard, mounted on wood.
Signature incised in the lower right. Dated "2.3.60" on the reverse. 80 x 54 cm (31.4 x 21.2 in). [KA].

• A gestural, informal early work by the ZERO movement’s leading figure.
• In the “Materiebilder” (Matter Paintings), the material becomes the medium for light and movement.
• Works by the artist are held in major museum collections, including the Städel Museum in Frankfurt am Main, the Museum Folkwang in Essen, and the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

PROVENANCE: Private collection, Southern Germany (acquired from Schoppmann, Düsseldorf, in 1994)
In the family’s possession ever since.

LITERATURE: Schoppmann & Partner KG, Düsseldorf, September 14, 1994, lot 934 (with illustration, plate XXII).

In good condition. There is one vertical crack in the impasto layer in the center of the painting and another along the left edge. In the center of the painting, there are small areas of paint or material loss.
The condition report was compiled in daylight with the aid of a UV light source, and to the best of our knowledge and belief.
For information concerning the condition, please view the high resolution image / backside image.