Reinhardt’s Restored Masterpiece at the Guggenheim

Many people know that Ad Reinhardt left a deep imprint on the history of 20th-century American art. Very few, however, know that the abstract art master taught at Brooklyn College, from 1947 until his untimely death in 1967 at age 53, during which time he played an invaluable role in reshaping the Art Department and turning it into the premier program it is today.

An art history graduate of Columbia University, Reinhardt pioneered what art historian Jules Langsner called hard-edge painting—non-figurative work that displays an economy of form, fullness of color, and neatness of surface. While New York City became the epicenter of the abstract and expressionist art movements in America, many of their best exponents came to Brooklyn College. Students took classes with Burgoyne Diller, Carl Holty, Harry Holtzman, Jimmy Ernst, and Alfred Russell. Mark Rothko sat with his students out on the Quad; Reinhardt and Clyfford Still drank coffee together in the College cafeteria.

In the 1950s, as Reinhardt began to limit his palette to a single color, he moved from red to blue and then to his final stage of black paintings. Reinhardt’s writings continued to influence many conceptual artists to this day.

Now, AXA Art Insurance, a worldwide art insurance specialist, has donated what until recently was considered one of the master’s irreparably damaged works—Black Painting, currently on display at the Guggenheim, which owns an already impressive collection of the artist.

Imageless: The Scientific Study and Experimental Treatment of an Ad Reinhardt Black Painting, which opened on July 11, is a pioneering project in the conservation and experimental treatment of a monochromatic painting that enables visitors to experience the world of the conservator as a forensic scientist.

For five years, conservators, scientists, curators, and artists employed state-of-the-art laser technology to treat Reinhardt’s damaged work. Using didactic materials, the exhibit on the Guggenheim’s seventh floor explains how comprehensive this conservation project was. This is a must-see for people interested in Reinhardt’s work and art conservation techniques. Presented in low light levels in accordance with the artist’s intent, the exhibit is open until September 14.