René Mels (1909-1977) - Composition abstraite 1965

Payment required before the evening of October 25. No shipments possible from October 26 for nearly 3 weeks (absence). —— René Mels (1909-1977) – Abstract composition – Circa 1965 – Watercolor – Monogrammed René Mels (1909-1977) Abstract composition Watercolor on paper, circa 1965 Signature: Monogrammed “M” in the bottom right corner. Verso blank, apart from a few small studio marks and a small paint spill at the top. Dimensions: 41.7 × 30.5 cm Sold unframed Condition Beautiful sheet, colors vivid and well preserved. Paper slightly aged, some light handling creases and normal studio marks. No significant loss visible. The recto remains clean, bright, and expressive. See photos. Description Gestural watercolor by René Mels, created around 1965, at the heart of his lyrical period. The composition is organized into large colored masses that intersect and overlap. On the left, pink and red verticals; in the center, horizontal green streaks; on the right and top, large blue areas, from light blue to deep blue. Some more intense red accents structure the middle. The white of the paper remains largely present, giving air and rhythm to the whole. The gesture is free, almost calligraphic: brushstrokes are visible, transparencies and overlays create depth. It reflects Mels’ writing freedom in the 1960s, between pure abstraction and organic suggestion (vegetation, calligraphy, movement). A living and decorative work, typical of the artist’s chromatic and gestural maturity during this period. Biography René Mels (René Meulemans, 1909-1977) studied at the Academies of Leuven and Brussels, then at La Cambre. After an early expressionist phase influenced by Permeke, he moved toward abstraction as early as 1947. An active member of Young Belgian Painting (exhibitions 1947-1948 at the Palais des Beaux-Arts of Brussels), he joined the group Abstract Art in 1952 and co-founded Cap d’encre in 1963. His work is characterized by a focus on construction, flexible writing, and expressive chromaticism. In 1950, a state grant allowed him to work at Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17 in Paris. His watercolors, engravings, pastels, and paintings are in numerous public Belgian and international collections, notably at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

Estimate:$337.11

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