KAREL APPEL (1921 - 2006) | Paysage Humaine, 1959

pastel and acrylic on paper; signed and dated '59'; titled, dated '59' and inscribed on the reverse

Private Collection
Acquired from the above by the present owner in November 1973

São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, '5th Biennial of São Paulo,' September - December 1959, cat no. 12

This work is in very good condition overall. The sheet is window matted and hinged intermittently along the reverse of the upper edge to the backing board. There is an undulation to the sheet, visible upon close inspection. The edges of the sheet are deckled and slightly discolored, not visible when matted. There is a 1/4 inch vertical tear to the lower right corner. There are handling marks to the unpainted areas of the sheet. There is stable hairline cracking to the thick, white painted passage, visible upon close inspection. Framed under Plexiglas.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

Dutch painter and sculptor Karel Appel was one of the founding figures of CoBrA, a collective of artists from Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam who, in the wake of World War II, rejected the notions of geometric abstraction and surrealism in pursuit of pure expression. Appel and CoBrA sought to emulate child-like spontaneity and movement in their work, ignoring the principals and order of modern art of the time. Through the use of heavily applied primary colors, stark contrast, and vibrant expression, Appel and CoBrA became accredited with rejuvenating Dutch art in the postwar period.