René Mels (1909-1977) - Composition abstraite - 1975

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Artist
: René Mels (1909–1977)
Belgian School
Title: Abstract Composition from 1975
Date: 1975
Technique: Colored inks and washes on paper
Dimensions
: 40,5 × 30,5 cm
Signature: Signed and dated at the bottom right, "R. Mels, 75"

Condition: Very good condition, I note two spots with small paint losses visible in the photos

Framing: Sold without supervision

Provenance: the artist's family

Description of the work

This abstract composition is characterized by a dynamic arrangement of sinuous shapes, spread across the entire surface of the paper. Large washes in green, bluish, ochre, and rosy tones structure the space into fluid masses, while long strokes of black ink, curved and repetitive, come to emphasize, encircle, or cross these colored areas.

The line, supple and continuous, acts as a guiding thread that links the different elements of the composition. It does not strictly delimit the shapes, but rather tensions them, accentuating an impression of internal circulation and organic movement. The paper’s reserves play an essential role, creating luminous breaths that strengthen the legibility of the whole.

The work evokes an ever-changing space, where color and drawing balance in a subtle relation between mastery and freedom. The gesture remains spontaneous, yet always controlled, revealing great maturity in the use of ink and wash.

Artistic context

In 1975, René Mels finds himself in an advanced phase of his artistic journey, marked by a growing concentration on the essentials of the visual language. The structure is no longer imposed by a strict geometric construction; instead, it emerges from the movement of the stroke itself and from the layering of color.

This work bears witness to this evolution toward a more fluid and more sensitive abstraction, in which the line becomes trajectory and breath. The color, applied in broad transparent swaths, retains an expressive function while contributing to the overall balance of the composition. This type of drawing directly heralds the artist's late works, characterized by heightened gestural intensity and a great economy of means.

Biography of René Mels (1909–1977)

René Mels was a major figure in Belgian painting and engraving of the 20th century. Born in Herent-lez-Louvain, he trained at the Academy of Leuven, then at that of Brussels, before continuing his studies at La Cambre. His work evolved from an initial expressionism toward a structured abstraction, then toward a freer language, dominated by line, rhythm and matter.
A member of the Belgian Young Painting and of the group Art Abstrait, he actively participated in renewing the post-war Belgian art scene. His approach is marked by a constant tension between formal rigor and gestural expressiveness. René Mels died in 1977 in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, leaving behind a late body of work of great coherence and strong poetic intensity.