Städel Museum
Frankfurt am Main, DE

1930

Adolf Hölzel emphasized the importance of mastering artistic techniques and their correct application. He believed in translating the depth and complexity of nature onto a two-dimensional canvas by discerning what elements are essential for a composition. Hölzel prioritized factors such as line, shape, and color, along with an understanding of how viewers perceive paintings and the emotions they evoke. His goal was to create paintings that left a pleasant and harmonious impression.

According to Hölzel, achieving this objective involved balancing known opposites in the composition: line and shape, light and dark, warm and cool colors, horizontal and vertical elements, as well as contrasts between hardness and softness, large and small elements, and tranquility and dynamism. Hölzel also stressed the importance of understanding the relationship between defined shapes and the spaces they create, which together form the composition and its expression. These "form figures" were interconnected and crucial for conveying the intended artistic message.