Robert Detheux (1932-2010) - Composition surréaliste géométrique

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Robert Detheux’s geometric surrealist composition, 1959, a mixed media on paper work (watercolour, gouache, ink and pencil) hand-signed, 33.3 × 23 cm, from Belgium, original edition and in good condition.

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Description from the seller

Robert Detheux (1932-2010) - Geometric Surrealist Composition, 1959 - Mixed media on paper signed

Robert Detheux (1932-2010) Belgian School

Geometric surrealist composition, 1959

Mixed media (watercolor, gouache, ink and pencil) on paper

Signed and dated “Detheux 59” at the bottom left

Dimensions: 33.3 × 23 cm

Sold unframed

Condition: Very good overall. Vivid colors and intact contrasts. Natural traces related to the technique (overlaps, smudges and textures deliberately created by the artist). On the back, handwritten note “1959”.

Description:
Rare and very beautiful surrealist painting from 1959, a formative period for Robert Detheux.

A bold geometric composition where a large central triangle houses an intense blue circle, above a stylized and fragmented face with fine features.

Bluish organic shapes, black hatch marks and dynamic lines cross in a fragmented and dreamlike space.

Detheux, aged 27, already freely explores the dialogue between geometric abstraction, allusive figuration and surreal atmosphere.

The work reveals an early sensitivity to the tension between order and chaos, presence and dissolution, which would characterize his entire career.

An important document of his early work, both constructivist and poetic, with great freshness and beautiful color intensity.

Provenance:
Artist’s studio collection (acquired directly).

Biography of the artist:
Born in Brussels in 1932 and died in 2010, Robert Detheux is a singular, demanding and deeply likable figure of 20th-century Belgian art.

A graduate of the Saint-Luc Institute of Fine Arts in Brussels, he taught graphic expression at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Academy of Fine Arts in Tournai from 1960 to 1996, while developing a personal body of work of great coherence and remarkable freedom, far from dominant currents.

His artistic career unfolds in several major periods: from the 1950s-1960s he asserts a powerful surrealist and expressionist language marked by intense portraits and dreamlike compositions; in the 1970s he explores with sensuality and obsession the theme of the female body; the 1980s-1990s see the flourishing of a more hybrid, grotesque and theatrical universe blending erotism, black humor and poetry; finally, the 2000-2010 period is one of total maturity with spectral portraits and appearances of great intensity.

Little exposed during his lifetime by choice, Robert Detheux independently created an intimate, subversive and poetic universe that belongs only to him. The recent unveiling of his substantial workshop archive (nearly 1,500 works on paper) has enabled a major rediscovery.

Today his work enjoys a legitimate and growing appeal among discerning collectors in Belgium, Spain and across Europe.

Unquestioned master of drawing, mixed media and collage, Detheux leaves behind an authentic, vibrant and timeless oeuvre that continues to surprise and delight with its evocative power, deep humanity, caustic humor and modernity.

Collecting Detheux is to enter a unique dreamlike world, filled with hybrid figures, waking dreams and subtly hidden social critiques.

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 Translate

Robert Detheux (1932-2010) - Geometric Surrealist Composition, 1959 - Mixed media on paper signed

Robert Detheux (1932-2010) Belgian School

Geometric surrealist composition, 1959

Mixed media (watercolor, gouache, ink and pencil) on paper

Signed and dated “Detheux 59” at the bottom left

Dimensions: 33.3 × 23 cm

Sold unframed

Condition: Very good overall. Vivid colors and intact contrasts. Natural traces related to the technique (overlaps, smudges and textures deliberately created by the artist). On the back, handwritten note “1959”.

Description:
Rare and very beautiful surrealist painting from 1959, a formative period for Robert Detheux.

A bold geometric composition where a large central triangle houses an intense blue circle, above a stylized and fragmented face with fine features.

Bluish organic shapes, black hatch marks and dynamic lines cross in a fragmented and dreamlike space.

Detheux, aged 27, already freely explores the dialogue between geometric abstraction, allusive figuration and surreal atmosphere.

The work reveals an early sensitivity to the tension between order and chaos, presence and dissolution, which would characterize his entire career.

An important document of his early work, both constructivist and poetic, with great freshness and beautiful color intensity.

Provenance:
Artist’s studio collection (acquired directly).

Biography of the artist:
Born in Brussels in 1932 and died in 2010, Robert Detheux is a singular, demanding and deeply likable figure of 20th-century Belgian art.

A graduate of the Saint-Luc Institute of Fine Arts in Brussels, he taught graphic expression at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Academy of Fine Arts in Tournai from 1960 to 1996, while developing a personal body of work of great coherence and remarkable freedom, far from dominant currents.

His artistic career unfolds in several major periods: from the 1950s-1960s he asserts a powerful surrealist and expressionist language marked by intense portraits and dreamlike compositions; in the 1970s he explores with sensuality and obsession the theme of the female body; the 1980s-1990s see the flourishing of a more hybrid, grotesque and theatrical universe blending erotism, black humor and poetry; finally, the 2000-2010 period is one of total maturity with spectral portraits and appearances of great intensity.

Little exposed during his lifetime by choice, Robert Detheux independently created an intimate, subversive and poetic universe that belongs only to him. The recent unveiling of his substantial workshop archive (nearly 1,500 works on paper) has enabled a major rediscovery.

Today his work enjoys a legitimate and growing appeal among discerning collectors in Belgium, Spain and across Europe.

Unquestioned master of drawing, mixed media and collage, Detheux leaves behind an authentic, vibrant and timeless oeuvre that continues to surprise and delight with its evocative power, deep humanity, caustic humor and modernity.

Collecting Detheux is to enter a unique dreamlike world, filled with hybrid figures, waking dreams and subtly hidden social critiques.

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 Translate

Details

Artist
Robert Detheux (1932-2010)
Sold with frame
No
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Composition surréaliste géométrique
Technique
Watercolour painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Belgium
Year
1959
Condition
Good condition
Height
23 cm
Width
33.3 cm
Style
Surrealism
Period
1950-1960
BelgiumVerified
3857
Objects sold
99.64%
Privatetop

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