Rupprecht Geiger’s Yellow on Orange (1969) is a striking abstract print that juxtaposes vibrant color with stark minimalism. A luminous yellow circle dominates the composition, set against a divided background – half a rich orange and the other half a crisp white – creating a bold contrast. The print’s interplay of radiant hues and negative space highlights Geiger’s mastery of color and form, evoking both energy and balance.

Rupprecht Geiger (German, 1908 – 2009) was a central figure in the color field painting movement, renowned for his vivid use of color and geometric forms. Son of the artist Willi Geiger, Rupprecht’s artistic journey was deeply rooted in his family’s creative environment, spanning architecture, painting, sculpture, and print. Geiger’s artwork is distinguished by its hard-edged geometric shapes coupled with a rich color palette, particularly his expressive use of red. This distinctive style resonated with the abstract art movement and made his pieces visually engaging and emotionally evocative. His exploration in printmaking further extended his artistic language, allowing him to experiment with color and form in diverse mediums. In 1949, alongside Willi Baumeister and Fritz Winter, Geiger co-founded Zen 49 in Munich. This group significantly contributed to developing new expressions in non-objective art post-World War II in Germany. By the early 1960s, Rupprecht Geiger shifted his focus entirely to painting and printmaking, driven by his profound interest in color dynamics. Geiger’s fascination with color, especially red, was not merely aesthetic but symbolized life, energy, and power. This perspective was vividly reflected in his artworks. Rupprecht Geiger achieved worldwide critical acclaim, participating in documenta 2,3,4 and 6, as well as exhibiting at the Museum for Non-Objective Painting (later the Guggenheim) alongside his Professorship at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Major retrospectives have been held at Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Lenbachhaus in Munich (1978 and 2008) and Akademie der Künste in Berlin (1985).

Rupprecht Geiger, Yellow on Orange