Corneille

Sale Sotheby's Amsterdam, 27 May 2002, lot 173
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Colours: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is more fresh. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There are some spots of paint loss along the extreme left edge. No restoration is apparent under ultra-violet light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

By contemplating Corneille's work, a poetic feeling is always strongly felt. His paintings seem like fragments from a poem or a narrative. This is not surprising, as Corneille loved writing about the many travels he made and the beautiful things he had seen. Ancient cultures, primeval tribes, nature, music, literature, all these things were sources of inspiration for Corneille. Throughout his life he documented his experiences and ideas in writing as well as in paintings.

In 1948, Corneille co-founded the Nederlandse Experimentele Groep together with Karel Appel and Constant amongst others. It was this group that was later absorbed in the CoBrA movement. Rejecting rational western culture and its rules and conventions concerning art, this international movement of Danish, Belgian and Dutch artists aimed to provoke while referring to forms of expression found in primitive art, prehistoric art, art from the Middle Ages, children's drawings and art of the mentally handicapped. Corneille was an active member of the group, not only as a painter, but also as a poet for the CoBrA magazine.

Following the footsteps of his idol Paul Klee, Corneille started his first journeys to North Africa in 1948. There he discovered an entirely different, colourful, expressive culture, which strongly influenced his style and subject matter. The forces of nature, the images used in primitive art are all clearly present in his work at that time.

From the '50's onwards, Corneille developed a more playful, intimate style with soft colours and a highly personal imagination. This development was further enhanced by his encounter with the artist Jacques Doucet, who in his turn was a great admirer of the surrealist Joan Miro, with his paintings full of amorphic phantasy figures.

In the years that followed, Corneille's work is full of fabulous creatures, depicted in loose, soft lines and tender colours.

Corneille painted the present lot in 1952. It reflects the artist's joy in creating a rhythmical composition of simple contrasts in lining. The interaction of horizontal, vertical and circular lines shows a woman, clearly made visible by two prominent round shapes. The primitive, childish outlook of the woman is still painted in the tradition of the CoBrA period, but can also be seen as a starting point for the new style Corneille was developing.

Therefore this lot can be seen as a key-work, connecting the two most important periods in Corneille's oeuvre in a stunning composition.