Bare arms raised

Oil on canvas – Unique work, signed

ARTIST: Elisabeth HAHN
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas
PERIOD: 1970s
DIMENSIONS without frame: 92 x 65 cm
DIMENSIONS with frame: 70 x 97 cm oak floating box frame.
COPY: Original work signed lower right
Sold with frame
In this elegant and minimalist composition, Elisabeth Hahn captures the natural grace of a female body in a simple and assertive pose: arms raised behind her head, gaze lowered, almost inward. The figure, painted in pink, earthy, and pearl gray tones, stands out against a textured, semi-abstract background, where geometric shapes and touches of orange-ochre punctuate the space.
The pictorial material is dense and vibrant, giving the whole a discreet, almost silent sensuality. This nude is in no way provocative: it evokes a free and nonchalant beauty, in the spirit of the 1960s and 1970s. One thinks of Brigitte Bardot, the muse of that era, a symbol of a liberated and radiant femininity. As in her work, here, the woman is the subject, not the object: present, serene, embodied.
Hahn, in a modern and refined vein, creates a dialogue between abstraction and figuration. She celebrates the body without fetishizing it, with a painting where texture, color, and light are enough to evoke the essential.
Elisabeth Hahn was born in Dortmund, Germany, where she began her art studies. In 1953, she moved to Paris. She continued her studies at the Beaux-Arts in the studios of Jean Souverbie and Edmond Heuzé between 1954 and 1959. Since 1962, she has exhibited regularly at the Salons de l'Art Libre, the Salon de l'Union des Artistes, and in major Parisian galleries: Galerie Raymond-Creuze, Galerie Cimaise de Paris, and Galerie Everarts. She also exhibited regularly in Germany at Königswinter-Oberpleis.
In her figurative paintings, she always seeks to place color and line at the service of the subject, eliminating all details that might detract from the overall expression. Elisabeth Hahn's painting fully deserves to be rediscovered. That's all we can find on Elisabeth Hahn's life. It's not much considering that she was active throughout the second half of the 20th century, and perhaps even longer. That's the gist of it: she received serious training at the École des Beaux-Arts with great professors, at a time when France was a shining star in the art world. She also exhibited in major galleries, some of which brought their artists to the Musée d'Art Moderne and to major collections.
For the rest, it's her works that speak for themselves, first and foremost, color! The harmony of her palette is omnipresent, and while it changes or evolves over the years, the balance is always there. Her compositions are always very precise; Elisabeth Hahn masters the space in her paintings. And while she doesn't focus on details, her drawing is confident, sometimes vigorous; some of her paintings have an expressionist edge, perhaps due to her origins. She explores all themes of painting: portraits, nudes, scenes from life, still lifes, and landscapes. She is an observer of the world around her, she knows how to transcribe gestures and emotions, and shares them with us on her canvases. We can recognize her workers, whether they are fishermen or laborers. There is no exaggeration or caricature, no allegory; her characters are familiar to us; she conveys their essence.
*This work is sold as is; its pre-owned nature implies the buyer's acceptance of the possibility that it may contain signs of use, wear, fragility, age, or restoration due to the passage of time.

Ref: QHI7560YW9