Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024) - Composition Cobra
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Marcus de Vestele (1941–2024), Belgian artist, presents Composition Cobra, an original aquarelle and gouache on paper from around 1975, 31 × 41 cm, hand-signed.
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Description from the seller
Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024) - Cobra composition with stylized figures - Watercolor / Gouache
Characteristics:
• Artist: Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024) – Belgium
• Title: Cobra Composition with Stylized Figures
• Medium: Watercolor and gouache on paper
• Dimensions: 53.5 × 36 cm
• Signature / Stamp: Artist's seal "Atelier de l’artiste" on the reverse
• Provenance: Artist’s studio collection
• Presentation: Sold unframed
• Period: Circa 1975
Description of the work:
A superb composition from around 1975 by Marcus de Vestele, deeply imbued with the Cobra spirit. The artist presents here a group of stylized and expressive figures, with simplified forms and powerful gestures. The figures, treated in vibrant flat areas of yellow, white, bluish gray, and splashes of bright red, stand out against a dark, structured background.
The movement is palpable: dynamic silhouettes, flamboyant hairstyles, theatrical poses, and faces that are schematic yet filled with intensity. The gesture is free, spontaneous, and highly painterly, with overlaps, drips, and contrasts that are typical of this intensely creative and secretive period in the artist’s career. A rare and authentic work directly from the studio collection.
Biography:
Marcus de Vestele (1941–2024), originally from Brussels, is a major figure in Belgian contemporary art. Internationally renowned for his monumental abstract marble sculptures (notably from Carrara and other stones), which have adorned numerous public spaces since the 1980s, he also developed a secret and intense painterly practice. His paintings, gouaches, and watercolors, often inspired by the Cobra spirit and produced in the 1970s, were never exhibited during his lifetime. Kept in a secret studio, nearly 200 pictorial works were discovered by his family after his death in 2024. This revelation offers a new and fascinating perspective on his creative universe, where painting and sculpture dialogue in a shared expressive, colorful, and gestural quest. His watercolors and gouaches, long unpublished, show a remarkable freshness, constant inventiveness, and an instinctive freedom that beautifully complements his sculptural work.
Seller's Story
About SR Fine Art
With nearly 28 years of experience in the art market, I am passionate about rediscovering artists’ studios and bringing their works to a wide audience on Catawiki.
I specialize in Belgian and European modern and contemporary art. My flagship collection is the studio archive of Robert Detheux (nearly 1,500 works on paper). I also offer surrealist drawings, beautiful abstract paintings from the 1950s, magnificent nude photographs by Michel Pinel, contemporary paintings, Cobra compositions, and works by Marcus de Vestele, Gundi Falk, René Mels, Eugène Eechaut and many others.
From intimate drawings to large formats, there is something for every taste and every budget. The vast majority of my auctions start at 1 € with no reserve price, giving everyone the chance to acquire unique pieces.
Every shipment is prepared with the utmost care using professional museum-quality packaging to ensure perfect condition upon arrival.
Join my growing community of satisfied clients and follow my new auctions to discover rare works from these exceptional studios.
Thank you for your trust and happy bidding!
SR Fine Art
Translated by Google TranslateMarcus de Vestele (1941-2024) - Cobra composition with stylized figures - Watercolor / Gouache
Characteristics:
• Artist: Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024) – Belgium
• Title: Cobra Composition with Stylized Figures
• Medium: Watercolor and gouache on paper
• Dimensions: 53.5 × 36 cm
• Signature / Stamp: Artist's seal "Atelier de l’artiste" on the reverse
• Provenance: Artist’s studio collection
• Presentation: Sold unframed
• Period: Circa 1975
Description of the work:
A superb composition from around 1975 by Marcus de Vestele, deeply imbued with the Cobra spirit. The artist presents here a group of stylized and expressive figures, with simplified forms and powerful gestures. The figures, treated in vibrant flat areas of yellow, white, bluish gray, and splashes of bright red, stand out against a dark, structured background.
The movement is palpable: dynamic silhouettes, flamboyant hairstyles, theatrical poses, and faces that are schematic yet filled with intensity. The gesture is free, spontaneous, and highly painterly, with overlaps, drips, and contrasts that are typical of this intensely creative and secretive period in the artist’s career. A rare and authentic work directly from the studio collection.
Biography:
Marcus de Vestele (1941–2024), originally from Brussels, is a major figure in Belgian contemporary art. Internationally renowned for his monumental abstract marble sculptures (notably from Carrara and other stones), which have adorned numerous public spaces since the 1980s, he also developed a secret and intense painterly practice. His paintings, gouaches, and watercolors, often inspired by the Cobra spirit and produced in the 1970s, were never exhibited during his lifetime. Kept in a secret studio, nearly 200 pictorial works were discovered by his family after his death in 2024. This revelation offers a new and fascinating perspective on his creative universe, where painting and sculpture dialogue in a shared expressive, colorful, and gestural quest. His watercolors and gouaches, long unpublished, show a remarkable freshness, constant inventiveness, and an instinctive freedom that beautifully complements his sculptural work.
Seller's Story
About SR Fine Art
With nearly 28 years of experience in the art market, I am passionate about rediscovering artists’ studios and bringing their works to a wide audience on Catawiki.
I specialize in Belgian and European modern and contemporary art. My flagship collection is the studio archive of Robert Detheux (nearly 1,500 works on paper). I also offer surrealist drawings, beautiful abstract paintings from the 1950s, magnificent nude photographs by Michel Pinel, contemporary paintings, Cobra compositions, and works by Marcus de Vestele, Gundi Falk, René Mels, Eugène Eechaut and many others.
From intimate drawings to large formats, there is something for every taste and every budget. The vast majority of my auctions start at 1 € with no reserve price, giving everyone the chance to acquire unique pieces.
Every shipment is prepared with the utmost care using professional museum-quality packaging to ensure perfect condition upon arrival.
Join my growing community of satisfied clients and follow my new auctions to discover rare works from these exceptional studios.
Thank you for your trust and happy bidding!
SR Fine Art
Translated by Google TranslateDetails
Artist
Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024)
Sold with frame
No
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Composition Cobra
Technique
Watercolour painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Belgium
Year
1975
Condition
Good condition
Height
31 cm
Width
41 cm
Depiction/theme
Portrait
Style
Cobra
Period
1970-1980
Sold by
