René Mels (1909-1977) - Composition abstraite chromatique

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Artist: René Mels (1909–1977) Belgian School
Chromatic composition
Late 1960s
Technique: Pastel and colored pencil on paper.

Dimensions
 : 39cm x 30cm
Signed at the bottom right 'R. Mels'.

Condition of preservation

Small folds are visible; a frame will set it all right.

Framing
: Sold unframed
(The photographs with frames are shown for illustration)

Provenance: the artist's family

Description of the work

Created at the end of the 1960s, Chromatic Composition accurately illustrates René Mels's full artistic maturity and his deep engagement with an abstraction based on color and rhythm. Free from any figurative reference, the work relies on a subtle dialogue between color fields and linear interventions, which structure the space without ever freezing it.

Bright hues — pinks, blues, yellows, ochres, and darker accents — are arranged in a vibrant weave, where each color seems to respond to the other in a fluid and controlled dynamic. The pastel, applied with vertical and horizontal strokes, gives the surface a soft, velvety texture, while the colored pencil enhances the rhythmic clarity of the composition. The overall work demonstrates a confident mastery of color, used as a truly autonomous language.

Artistic context

In the late 1960s, René Mels reached a particularly accomplished phase of synthesis in his artistic journey. After exploring figuration and light effects in his landscapes and watercolors, he moved towards an abstraction that is both constructed and lyrical, where color becomes the main vehicle of expression.
In Chromatic Composition, Mels achieves a remarkable fusion of plastic rigor and emotional sensitivity. The balance of color masses, the transparency of pastel, and the musicality of visual rhythms reflect a deep reflection on the perception and resonance of forms. This work fully aligns with the post-war Belgian abstraction context, while asserting a deeply personal plastic identity.

A rare and authentic work
Original work on paper, signed at the bottom right.
Created in the late 1960s, a period of full artistic maturity.
Rich, fresh, and luminous color palette.
Balanced composition, combining structure with freedom of expression.
Direct provenance: artist's family.

Representative piece of René Mels' research on color as a central element of composition.

Biography of René Mels (1909–1977)
René Mels was a prominent figure in Belgian painting and engraving of the 20th century. Born in Herent-lez-Louvain, he studied at the Leuven Academy, then at the Brussels Academy, before perfecting his skills at La Cambre. His work, initially influenced by expressionism, gradually evolved into structured and luminous abstraction, focused on the relationships between line, color, and space.
Active member of the Belgian Young Painting and the Art Abstrait group, he participated in the modernization of the Belgian post-war art scene. His approach, based on formal rigor combined with great poetic sensitivity, tirelessly explores the relationships between light, rhythm, and emotion. René Mels passed away in 1977 in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, leaving behind a coherent, demanding body of work of profound intensity.

Conclusion
High-quality chromatic work, Chromatic Composition stands out as a particularly accomplished example of René Mels' exploration of color as a universal language. Through its subtle balance between construction and poetic freedom, it powerfully illustrates the maturity and modernity of his abstraction at the end of the 1960s.