René Mels ( 1909-1977) - Composition abstraite représentant un arbre

This watercolor by René Mels offers an abstract interpretation of the tree, a recurring theme among many post-war artists, used here as an organic structure and axis of composition. The work belongs to the artist's mature period, at the end of the 1950s, when figuration and abstraction subtly dialogue.

Descriptive sheet

Artist: René Mels (1909–1977)
School: Belgium
Title: Abstract Tree (or Abstract Composition with Tree Pattern)
Dating: the late 1950s
Technique: Watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 39.5 × 32.5 cm
Signature: monogrammed at the bottom right
Unframed sale
Provenance: Private collection, artist's family.

Condition of preservation

General condition: Good condition
Remarks: Slight scratches visible at the bottom right, near the monogram. Minor defects, with no impact on the readability of the pattern or the balance of the work.

Description of the work

The work is structured around a central tree-like form, evoking a trunk and stylized branches that extend into the pictorial space. René Mels does not offer a naturalistic representation but an internalized vision of the tree, reduced to its vital energy, its rhythm, and its verticality.

The watercolor washes, transparent and layered, allow light to pass through the paper. The light tones — blues, yellows, pinks, and grays — create an airy atmosphere, while the more defined lines suggest the framework of the tree. The composition thus oscillates between motif recognition and poetic abstraction.
Artistic context

In the late 1950s, René Mels explored motifs from nature as anchors towards abstraction. The tree, with its symbolism of growth and stability, became a support for his artistic research, allowing him to articulate free gestures, internal structure, and chromatic balance.

Member of the Belgian Young Painting and the Art Abstrait group, Mels is part of a modernity where the motif is no longer described but transposed into rhythm and sensation.

Artist Biography

Born in Herent-lez-Louvain in 1909, René Mels trained at the academies of Louvain and Brussels, then at La Cambre. His work evolved from an initial expressionism to luminous and measured abstraction, often inspired by references to landscapes and natural forms. He died in 1977 in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.

This watercolor depicting a tree transposed into an abstract language constitutes a sensitive and balanced work, revealing René Mels' approach at the end of the 1950s, and holds genuine interest for collectors of post-war Belgian abstraction.