René Mels (1909-1977) - Grande composition abstraite explosive

René Mels (1909-1977) – Large Explosive Chromatic Abstract Composition, Oil on Paper, circa 1960

Signed at the bottom left “Mels” (signature in full plus monogram)

Dimensions of the work: 65 × 50 cm
Dimensions with mat: 81 × 66 cm

Condition: good (colors very fresh and vibrant, no damage, no major restoration)

Presentation: sold with mat but unframed

This large oil on paper (65 × 50 cm) by René Mels, dated circa 1960, constitutes a superb example of the artist’s mature abstract period.

In a vibrant and joyful palette — intense solar yellows, deep and luminous blues, tender pinks, spring greens, earthy browns, and touches of purple — the work unfolds a dynamic, rhythmical composition. The broad impasto, energetic brushwork, and color superimpositions create a true chromatic vortex where organic forms and hints of inner landscapes merge in a powerful and poetic harmony.

As a large-format work on paper, rare and particularly expressive for this period, it perfectly reflects Mels’ explorations of color, material, and rhythm, influenced by his printmaking work.

A striking, decorative, and collectible piece that will illuminate any modern or contemporary interior.

Biography:

René Mels, pseudonym of René Meulemans (Herent, April 14, 1909 – Woluwe-Saint-Lambert / Kraainem, December 15, 1977), is an important figure in 20th-century Belgian art.

Trained at the University of Leuven (under Alfred Delaunois), then at the Brussels Academy (1930-1933) with Henri Van Haelen, Alfred Bastien, and Jean Delville, he completed his training at La Cambre (1937-1938).

His beginnings are marked by powerful Expressionism influenced by Constant Permeke. He exhibited as early as 1931 at the Leuven Artistic Circle and participated in 1938 in the Art Jeune exhibition alongside Gaston Bertrand, Anne Bonnet, and Louis Van Lint.

Founding member of Jeune Peinture Belge (1947), he exhibited at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. From 1947, he made a decisive shift toward abstraction, which he developed with rigor and sensitivity. In 1950, a Belgian State grant enabled him to work in Paris at Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17, a decisive experience that enriched his printmaking and deeply influenced his painting (exploration of matter, relief, and line).

In 1952, he joined the Art Abstrait group (with Jo Delahaut, Jean Milo, etc.). In 1963, he co-founded Cap d’Encre, a collective of renowned printmakers. A painter, draftsman, etcher, sculptor, ceramist, and glass painter, René Mels is particularly renowned for the exceptional quality of his prints, but his paintings and oil on paper works from the 1950s-1970s reveal a brilliant chromatic palette and great gestural freedom.

His works are housed in prestigious public collections: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (Brussels), Cabinet des Estampes, University Library of Leuven, Musée Gaspar (Arlon), Bibliothèque nationale de France, Brooklyn Museum (New York), as well as in numerous Belgian and international private collections.

This composition from the 1960s fully embodies the synthesis of his career: energy, color, and construction in the service of a lyrical and personal abstraction.

Perfect for fans of postwar Belgian abstract art and collectors of Jeune Peinture Belge!