Karel Appel (Dutch, 1921-2006) - Abstract Bird Figure

Name: Karel Appel (Dutch, 1921-2006) - Abstract Bird Figure
Brand: The Collector
Availability: LimitedAvailability

An abstract expressionist oil painting by Karel Appel featuring a bird-like figure in bold red, yellow, and white against a green background. - view 1

1/3

Scarce (6/10)

Add to Watchlist

QUICK FACTS

DESCRIPTION

An original oil painting executed in a vibrant Abstract Expressionist style. The work features a stylized, bird-like figure rendered with extremely thick, sculptural layers of paint (impasto), a hallmark technique of the artist. The composition is dominated by bold primary colors—red and yellow—contrasted with white, black, and purple against a solid green background. The artist's signature, "Appel", is visible in black paint in the lower-left corner. The painting is housed in a modern black and gold stepped frame.

CULTURAL ECHOES

Where This Object Echoes

Art Brut (Jean Dubuffet)Mid-20th Century

Shares a focus on raw, untutored, and primal forms of expression, rejecting academic artistic conventions.

German Expressionism (Die Brücke)Early 20th Century

Echoes the use of jarring, vibrant color and distorted figures to convey intense emotion and subjectivity.

Ritual & Ceremonial Use

•The investment and collecting of 'blue-chip' post-war modern art.
•Exhibition in major galleries and museums as a canonical example of European Abstract Expressionism.

Meaning Through Time

c. 1950

Symbolized a radical, avant-garde rebellion against the perceived sterility of pre-war geometric abstraction.

c. 2020

Represents an established, highly valued, and historically significant work within the canon of modern art history.

HISTORICAL STORY

This painting is characteristic of the work of Karel Appel, a founding member of the influential European avant-garde movement CoBrA (1948–1951). CoBrA artists rejected rationalism and geometric abstraction, favoring a spontaneous, raw, and experimental style inspired by children's drawings and ...

DID YOU KNOW?

The name 'CoBrA' is an acronym for the home cities of its founders: Copenhagen (Denmark), Brussels (Belgium), and Amsterdam (the Netherlands).

Karel Appel applied paint so thickly, sometimes straight from the tube, that his works often have a three-dimensional, almost sculptural quality. He once said, "I paint like a barbarian in a barbarian age."

MATERIAL & CONDITION

Surface

Extremely high-relief, glossy impasto. The surface is a dynamic landscape of thick, distinct strokes from a palette knife and brush, creating a highly sculptural texture.

Weight & Feel

Appears moderately heavy for its size, likely weighing 15-25 lbs (7-11 kg) due to the substantial amount of oil paint and the solid wood frame.

Condition

The painting appears to be in excellent condition from the provided images. The colors are vibrant and the heavy impasto structure seems intact, with no visible signs of cracking, flaking, or restoration.