René Mels (1909-1977) - Composition abstraite chromatique

Descriptive sheet

Artist: René Mels (1909–1977) Belgian School
Abstract Composition
Era: Around 1965
Technique: Watercolor and wash on paper
Dimensions of the work: 43 × 29.5 cm
Signature: Signed in full at the bottom right
Condition: Very good condition

Presentation: Supplied with a high-quality mat.

Framing: Sold unframed

Provenance: Private collection

Description of the work

The composition unfolds in a fluid, deeply atmospheric space, where washes overlap into translucent swathes. The shapes, deliberately non-figurative, emerge in successive touches, creating a dense network of chromatic vibrations.

The palette pairs muted blues, nuanced grays, bright ochres, and brick-red accents, orchestrated with great finesse. The diffusion and granulation effects intrinsic to watercolour are fully exploited, giving the surface a richness of texture rarely achieved in this medium. The light seems to filter from within the composition itself, lending the whole a nearly meditative dimension.

Artistic context
Around 1965, René Mels stands at a pivotal moment in his career. His abstraction, already solidly built, opens to greater freedom of color and gesture, never losing its internal coherence. The line, sometimes absorbed by the wash, yields here a share of its structuring function to color itself, which becomes the main vector of rhythm and depth.

The watercolors from this period rank among the most accomplished works on paper in his oeuvre, bearing witness to a continuous search for balance between technical mastery and nuanced expression.

Biographical notice
René Mels (1909–1977) is a major figure of Belgian abstraction in the 20th century. Trained at the academies of Leuven and Brussels, then at La Cambre, he moves from an initial expressionism to a demanding abstraction, based on line, light, and internal rhythm.

A member of Young Belgian Painting and the group Art Abstrait, he plays an active role in renewing the post-war pictorial language. His work, of great coherence, is marked by a constant tension between construction and freedom, particularly evident in his works on paper.

Appreciation
This watercolour, dating from around 1965, is a landmark work in René Mels’ oeuvre. The exceptional quality of the washes, the tonal subtleties, and the presence of the full signature at the bottom right enhance the appeal of this piece, intended for discerning collectors and for fans of European lyrical abstraction from the 1960s.