Dieter Stein

Dieter Stein (1924–2022) remains one of the great unknowns of postwar German art history. His first abstract paintings, which were exhibited in his hometown of Würzburg after the war, caused a sensation as early as 1950. Despite nationwide acclaim, international exhibitions, and being awarded several prizes, he continued to develop his work quietly over the decades that followed, from his vibrant early geometric paintings to his more pared-back, elegant, and exciting later works. To mark the centenary of the artist’s birth, the Museum im Kulturspeicher in Würzburg is showing the first-ever retrospective of Stein’s work, exploring his unique position within the international abstract art movement of the twentieth century.