Silvin Bronkart (1915-1967) - Grande composition abstraite

Silvin BRONKART (1915-1967) Belgian School
Untitled, 1953
Oil on paper
Dimensions: 66 × 53.3 cm

Condition: Very good – slight old crease at the top near the right corner (with no severity and completely invisible when framed)

Sold unframed

Provenance: Daughter of the artist – direct family collection to the present day

Work listed in the artist’s online catalog raisonné

https://art-info.be/oeuvres/sans-titre-3759

On the verso: numerical annotations, arrows and marks typical of works from Silvin Bronkart’s workshop (photos attached).

Created in 1953, this large oil on paper (66 × 53.3 cm) represents a pinnacle of his mature period within the Reality-Cobra group. On a vibrant, luminous green background, the artist unfolds a dynamic and architected composition: in the upper part, black, brown, earth-red and white triangles interlock like a crystalline constellation; in the center, a hypnotic spiral in brown and ochre tones irresistibly draws the eye; the lower part plays with more massive and contrasting geometric planes in red, black and brown.

The whole reveals an exceptional mastery of rhythm, light and pictorial matter – a true masterpiece that embodies Bronkart’s quest for an autonomous pictorial space, both structured and organic.

This painting is a rare museum-grade piece: sizable format, a key year in his production, impeccable family provenance, and confirmed presence in the online catalog raisonné.

An exceptional purchase for any connoisseur of Belgian abstraction of the 20th century.

A mature abstract masterpiece by a pioneer of post-war Belgian abstraction

Silvin Bronkart, born Sylvain Joseph Louis Bronckaert (Liège, June 14, 1915 – Herstal/Liège, July 5, 1967), occupies a major place in the history of Walloon and Belgian abstraction after the war. Trained at the Athénée Royal de Liège and then at the Institut Saint-Luc (decorative arts section), where he studied under Jean Julémont and Félix Proth, he won the grand prize unanimously in 1939.

Mobilized in 1940, he experienced exile in France (notably Sète) where he continued to paint despite shortages. Returning to Liège, he established himself in Walloon artistic life, becoming an active member of APIAW (Association for Intellectual and Artistic Progress in Wallonia) from 1946, later serving as secretary and art columnist.

From 1949 to 1952, he co-founded with Pol Bury, Georges Collignon, Léopold Plomteux, Maurice Léonard and Paul Franck the group Réalité, the first Belgian abstract collective, which aligned with the international influences of the Cobra movement.

That period marked a decisive turn: after figurative and symbolic beginnings influenced by his father-in-law Edgar Scauflaire, followed by an abstract surreal phase, Bronkart established himself as one of the major representatives of an abstraction that is geometric, lyrical and materialist.

His works from the 1950s, rare on the market, are particularly sought after for their perfect balance between constructive rigor, organic dynamism and chromatic sensuality.

Compared to Paul Klee for his subtle poetry and mastery of matter, he explores velvety harmonies, lively arabesques and a “skin of the world” rich in textures.

Around 1963, he gradually abandoned painting to devote himself to worked lead reliefs (“-leads”), an alchemical technique he mastered like a goldsmith, creating dramatic and cosmic sculptural works.

His pieces appear in numerous public collections (Belgian State, City of Liège, Museum of Walloon Art) and have been exhibited in Liège, Brussels, Paris, Ostend, Copenhagen (Louisiana Museum) and at various quadriennial salons.