Beginning in 1954, Ernst Wilhelm Nay devoted much of his attention to the circular form in his painting. From 1955 to around 1962, it would become his primary motif. This group of works is characterized by the rhythmic distribution of color circles, which form a choreographic composition through their mutual tension and color variation. In 1954, Nay himself commented on the “‘Disk’” as follows: “(…) When I put a brush onto the canvas, I leave a blob, which I enlarge to create a disk.” (Magdalena Claesges: E. W. Nay, Lesebuch: Selbstzeugnisse und Schriften 1931–1968, Cologne 2002). The “Disk Paintings” probably count among Nay’s most famous works.
The years around 1956— the time when our painting was created— are characterized by highlights in Nay’s career. In 1955, he published his artistic program “Vom Gestaltwert der Farbe” (On the Formative Value of Color), in which he defined the principles of his painting theory, describing how color is not merely an illustrative medium, but an independent means of expression that creates form without lines and tells a story without motifs.
In 1956, Ernst Wilhelm Nay presented his “Disk Paintings” at, among others, the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The same year, he also painted his largest “Disk Painting,” “Das Freiburger Bild” (The Freiburg Painting, CR no. 812), and gained increasing international recognition. His first solo exhibition in the USA took place in New York in 1955.
Our painting is defined by shades of gray and muted colors, arranged in a rhythmic, almost floating pattern broken up by the bright green splash in the center and other yellow nuances. With this color palette, Nay creates a calm, nearly meditative mood—a play between restraint (gray) and luminous presence (emerald green), between tranquility and vibrancy, between structure and intuition. Like a melody, the play of colors unfolds in harmonious balance, as if one were listening to calm music. [MH]