Ib Geertsen oil painting

The oil painting Rytmisk rum (Rhythmic Space), created by Ib Geertsen in 1950, is a seminal work within the Danish concretist movement. Executed in oil on canvas and framed in a minimalist oak frame, the painting measures 93 cm by 90 cm (approximately 36.6 by 35.4 inches). It exemplifies Geertsen’s mature exploration of geometry, rhythm, and color relationships during a pivotal period in his artistic development.

The composition is structured around a balanced arrangement of geometric forms rendered in varying intensities of blue, complemented by accents of green, black, and white. The predominance of blue hues establishes a cool, spatial depth, while the green introduces contrast and the white areas bring clarity and motion to the visual field. Black elements function as compositional anchors, framing and stabilizing the more vibrant sections. The overall effect is one of dynamic equilibrium, where movement and stillness coexist through the deliberate placement of color and form.

Geertsen’s approach to abstraction in this period is informed by the principles of concretism, which rejects symbolic or representational content in favor of pure visual expression. Rytmisk rum reflects his particular interest in the interplay between curved and straight lines—a formal contrast that became central to his work in the early 1950s. The painting contains early iterations of what would later become signature forms in his oeuvre, such as the stylized teardrop or “drop” shape. These motifs, while abstracted and non-referential, would later evolve into kinetic and spatial explorations in Geertsen’s sculptural and mobile works.

Although some age-related cracking is present in the paint layer, the surface remains stable, and the compositional clarity is uncompromised. The reverse of the painting bears inscriptions and references to its exhibition history, notably its inclusion in Linien II 47–50 at the Statens Museum for Kunst. This exhibition was a key cultural event, marking the consolidation of concretist practices in Denmark.

Ib Geertsen (1919–2009) was a central figure in postwar Danish modernism, co-founding the artist collective Linien II in 1947, which became the principal forum for concrete and constructivist art in Denmark. His artistic trajectory in the 1950s was characterized by an increasingly systematic investigation of spatial dynamics, symmetry, and modular form. Geertsen’s later works extended into architectural settings, demonstrating a consistent effort to blur the boundaries between painting, object, and environment. Rytmisk rum stands as an early yet fully realized example of this broader ambition, merging rigor and lyricism in a tightly composed abstract idiom.