René Mels (1909-1977) - Composition abstraite

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Artist: René Mels (1909–1977) Belgian School

Abstract Composition

1960s

Technique: Colored ink and washes on paper

Dimensions: 39.5 × 25.5 cm

Signature: Signed at the bottom right 'R. Mels.'

Condition: Very good condition

Framing: Sold unframed

Provenance: artist's family

Description of the work
This abstract composition is distinguished by a complex articulation between broad color fields and linear ink interventions. The washes, applied with fluidity, deploy a rich palette dominated by violet, blue, yellow, red and green tones, creating a vibrant and layered pictorial space.

The line, still very present, acts at times as structure, at times as a rhythmic accent. It traverses, underscores, or contradicts the colored masses, generating dynamic visual tension. Some areas appear almost architectural, while others give way to a more liberated gesturality, revealing a constant oscillation between control and spontaneity.

The paper’s reserves play an active role in the composition, bringing luminous breaths that balance the chromatic density. The arrangement suggests a space in motion, without a single focal point, inviting the eye to move freely across the surface.

Artistic context
During the 1960s, René Mels develops an increasingly assertive abstraction, while maintaining a strong attachment to the construction of space. This period is characterized by a search for balance between formal rigor and gestural expressiveness, inherited from his earlier experiences in structured abstraction.

This work clearly illustrates this phase of transition. The composition remains solidly organized, but color gains autonomy and the line gradually emancipates itself from any strictly architectural function. This work heralds the freer and more stripped-down explorations of the 1970s, where gesture and rhythm will become central in his work.

Biography of René Mels (1909–1977)
René Mels was a major figure in Belgian painting and printmaking of the 20th century. Born in Herent-lez-Louvain, he trained at the Leuven Academy, then at Brussels, before continuing his studies at La Cambre. His artistic journey took him from an initial expressionism to a constructed abstraction, then to an increasingly freer language, based on line, color, and rhythm.

Member of the Young Belgian Painting and of the Art Abstrait group, he actively participated in the renewal of the post-war Belgian art scene. His approach, characterized by a constant search for tension between structure and emotion, gives his work remarkable coherence and depth. René Mels died in 1977 in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, leaving a rich, demanding, and deeply poetic body of work.