LONDON.- Born in 1951 in Freiburg, Germany, Ralph Fleck lived and worked in Freiburg and Sóller, Mallorca. Formerly Professor of Painting at the Nuremberg Academy, he was the most generous of teachers; his encouragement of the students led to an unforgettable exhibition of their work, Meisterschüler at Purdy Hicks in 2014.

Ralph Fleck developed a painterly language that was distinctly his own. Working with densely layered oil paint, he transformed familiar subjects into works of great presence and intensity. Whether painting the complexity of a city, the order of stacked books, a field of flowers or the changing surface of the sea, he was less interested in recording a particular place than in capturing its essential character. Every part of the canvas received the same attention, and each brushstroke retained the immediacy and vitality that became a hallmark of his work.

Although often associated with the generation of German painters who came to prominence during the 1980s, Ralph's artistic concerns were fundamentally different. Direct observation always lay at the heart of his practice, but representation was never the end goal. Instead, he explored how the material qualities of paint; its texture, weight and movement, could deepen our experience of the visible world. His work possessed an extraordinary understanding of light, whether depicting the dense fabric of Venice, the streets of Paris or Genoa, mountains, or sea.

One lesson from a teacher stayed with Ralph throughout his career: nothing was too ordinary to be painted. It was a belief that shaped the remarkable breadth of his subjects. However spontaneous his paintings may appear, they always grew out of careful observation, quiet reflection and a lifelong love of paint itself and its endless possibilities.





Having studied at the State Academy of Fine Arts Karlsruhe, Ralph went on to develop a body of work that continually evolved over the decades. New subjects and perspectives emerged, yet his commitment to painting and its possibilities never wavered. His work has been presented in museum exhibitions internationally and is represented in major public and private collections across the world.

Ralph Fleck's first solo exhibition at Purdy Hicks Gallery took place in 1999, immediately finding collectors who remained committed to the work throughout his career. Our visits to his studio in Freiburg to select paintings for exhibitions and art fairs were among the highlights of every year, invariably accompanied by magical times in some of the finest restaurants in the Black Forest.

In an interview with the curator Walter Smerling, Ralph once remarked that art is sometimes taken far too seriously. "You also have to be able to laugh at yourself and work with a wink," he said. It is perhaps that humility, humour, and unmistakable sparkle in his eyes that defined Ralph more than anything else.

The vast richness of the paintings he leaves behind, together with the galleries, museums and collectors who recognised his genius, will ensure that his artistic legacy endures.

We extend our heartfelt sympathy and deepest condolences to his family.