Description

Through his close friendship with Piet Mondrian (1872–1944), Fritz Glarner evolved an aesthetic philosophy he called "Relational Painting," expanding his colleague's pursuit of pure form, color, and dynamic equilibrium. Moving beyond the balanced vertical and horizontal compositions of Mondrian, Glarner introduced a slightly slanted line into his rectangles. The result was two forms related to but different from a rectangle, which together made a unique form. The slanted line also added a subtle feeling of motion, or dynamism, to the composition. By working in a tondo, or circular format, Glarner further unified the forms within his painting by making them all share a segment of the circle's circumference. The patterns of red, yellow, and blue that advance and recede, and the delicate gradations of gray, black, and white, set up a rhythm and add depth to the space.