Ad Reinhardt’s 1930s paintings used flickering light and daubs of hot colour hovering and swirling in space, influenced structurally by Cubism and Piet Mondrian. See Untitled (1938), Study for a Painting (1939), Abstract Painting (1948), and Newspaper Collage (1940).
Over time, Reinhardt’s paintings became more simple, even, and unified as he became more and more influenced by the Russian Supremicist Kazimir Malevich. Geometric bars that crossed in the picture plane took over, and the thinly applied colour became more restricted and much darker. Examples include Abstract Painting (1960), Red Abstract (1952), and Abstract Painting Blue (1952).
Originally vertical rectangles, the format of Reinhardt’s paintings changed to five-by-five-foot squares. These initially looked to be solid black, though prolonged scrutiny often revealed otherwise: a faint three-by-three grid with dark blue or red hues.
The 1950s and 60s
Reinhardt was known for his focusing on single colours such as black, blue, or red, and butting together tonally similar forms. Often the chromatic difference was barely perceptible, detectable only when the viewer’s eyes had adjusted. See Untitled (1966), Ultimate Painting No.39 (1960), and Abstract Painting, No.9 (1960—1966).
