Starting in the 1930s, Hartung's art underwent a transformation, a renunciation of naturalistic and realistic German sculpture. Hartung created entirely abstract works and also made his figurative works subject to increased abstraction. Although the human, primarily female figure, its forms and physiognomy, remained an important theme, the radical reduction and high degree of abstraction of some of his works was unusual at the time. His “Vegetative”, “Free” and “Organic Forms”, from around the late 1940s/early 1950s, are characterized by transgressing the boundaries of abstraction, finding a completely new and free formal language and exploring the idea of a sculptural structure with openings. This development culminated in “Umschlossener Raum" (Enclosed Space) from 1953.

The work does not imitate nature, nor does it hint at human physiognomy. Instead, Hartung created a particularly graceful and dynamic composition with a tense asymmetry, straight lines, gentle curves and tapered ends. Three linear elements run from one tip to the other in sloping, both ascending and descending dynamic diagonals, leaving large openings that allow the viewer to perceive the surrounding space that is reflected in the highly polished surface. In doing so, Hartung created both an interior and exterior space: a space within the linear framework that is linked to the exterior space through openings and reflections, forming a harmonious and simultaneously appealing symbiosis. Instead of voluminous plasticity, Hartung created an elegant composition with a strong presence and a sensual material quality that reflects the light and changes with the viewer's angle. It is an autonomous structure and a universally valid, abstract form of timeless beauty that is unique within Hartung's oeuvre.

Shortly after the end of the war, Karl Hartung finally achieved his artistic breakthrough. His first solo exhibitions took place at Galerie Gerd Rosen (both in 1946 and 1948) and at Galerie Springer in Berlin. In 1949, Hartung participated in the first major exhibition of the international artists' association "CoBrA", founded in 1948, at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. In 1952, the Haus am Waldsee, Berlin, presented a comprehensive exhibition of his work, followed by further large-scale solo exhibitions the year our work was made, among others at the Museum Folkwang, Essen, the Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hanover, the Osthaus Museum, Hagen, and the Bremer Kunsthalle (1953/54).
With a singular position within abstract sculpture developed around 1950, Karl Hartung became established as a significant sculptor in the second half of the 20th century alongside contemporary luminaries like Hans Arp, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. [CH]