Pierre Soulages and Hans Hartung first met in 1947 at the Salon des Surindépendants. They later developed a friendship marked by a shared passion for an abstract style of painting, independent of all artistic movements. With mutual respect, each followed their own paths to further their research and body of work, without ever losing sight of each other’s progress.
Soulages // Hartung // Destins croisés reunites these two master painters who have cultivated an extraordinary admiration for one another. The exhibition features 30 works that bear witness to the evolution of their art – differences, similarities and all – like two brushstrokes that have crossed paths on a canvas, while their tracks remained distinct from the other.
This exceptional exhibition organised by Christie’s has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the collectors who have kindly agreed to lend us their pieces, some of which have been out of the public eye for years. The exhibition line-up also includes a Hartung painting that will come to auction in Paris on 7 June during our Contemporary Art Evening Auction, and several works by both artists available for private sale.
Hans Hartung (1904-1989), T 1955-9. Signed and dated 'Hartung 55' (lower left), Oil on canvas, 162 x 114 cm. (63.3/4 x 44.7/8 in.) Painted in 1955. © Adagp, Paris, 2018