Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024) - Composition Cobra aux figures
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Marcus de Vestele, Composition Cobra aux figures, watercolor on paper, original edition, 1975, 48.5 × 39.5 cm, Belgium, signed.
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Description from the seller
Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024)
Gestural Cobra composition with figures
Watercolor, gouache and ink on paper, circa 1975
Signature: Not signed on the front.
Studio stamp on the back: “Marcus de Vestele – Atelier de l’artiste”
Dimensions: 48.5 × 39.5 cm
Sold unframed
Condition:
Good overall condition. Some light aging traces and small stains, in keeping with a workshop work from the 1970s. Paper slightly warped in places, as is often the case with water-based mixed media.
Provenance: Artist Marcus de Vestele’s studio.
Description:
Beautiful Cobra-spirit gestural composition by Marcus de Vestele, created around 1975.
Two presences confront each other on either side of a wide blue mass. On the left, a small anthropomorphic silhouette, rendered in light flesh tones and outlined with a nervous black line, stands out against a background of blacks, reddish-orange and yellows.
Stacked organic forms, almost totemic, punctuate the left edge.
On the right, a tall yellow vertical figure, built from flat fields and covered with a network of calligraphic black ink, evokes a character or a totem with a fragmented face.
In the center, a vast circular blue blot, worked in washes and punctuated by dots, anchors the composition as an aquatic or cosmic mass. Brown, ochre and mauve-grey washes frame the whole and give it atmospheric depth.
The treatment is typically Cobra: spontaneity of gesture, pure and contrasting colors, a constant tension between elemental figuration and abstraction. The work exudes strong visual energy, both primitive and almost ritual.
A colorful, dynamic piece characteristic of Marcus de Vestele’s paper production in the 1970s, directly from the artist’s studio.
Biography
Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024) is a major Belgian artist, recognized mainly as a marble sculptor (notably in Carrara and with Bardiglio marble).
Alongside his sculptural practice, he developed throughout his life a significant pictorial production, long kept confidential and today sought after by collectors.
Strongly influenced by the Cobra movement (Karel Appel, Asger Jorn, Pierre Alechinsky, Corneille, Constant…), Marcus de Vestele drew inspiration from it to create abstract-figurative compositions of great expressive power. His works on paper from the 1970s are characterized by spontaneous line, free gestural energy, and a persistent tension between figuration and abstraction.
His drawings, washes and gouaches combine the sculptor’s rigor with the lyrical, gestural explosion characteristic of Cobra. Directly from the studio, this paper-based production constitutes an essential and unique facet of his work, occupying a special place in Belgian art of the second half of the 20th century.
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)
Gestural Cobra composition with figures
Watercolor, gouache and ink on paper, circa 1975
Signature: Not signed on the front.
Studio stamp on the back: “Marcus de Vestele – Atelier de l’artiste”
Dimensions: 48.5 × 39.5 cm
Sold unframed
Condition:
Good overall condition. Some light aging traces and small stains, in keeping with a workshop work from the 1970s. Paper slightly warped in places, as is often the case with water-based mixed media.
Provenance: Artist Marcus de Vestele’s studio.
Description:
Beautiful Cobra-spirit gestural composition by Marcus de Vestele, created around 1975.
Two presences confront each other on either side of a wide blue mass. On the left, a small anthropomorphic silhouette, rendered in light flesh tones and outlined with a nervous black line, stands out against a background of blacks, reddish-orange and yellows.
Stacked organic forms, almost totemic, punctuate the left edge.
On the right, a tall yellow vertical figure, built from flat fields and covered with a network of calligraphic black ink, evokes a character or a totem with a fragmented face.
In the center, a vast circular blue blot, worked in washes and punctuated by dots, anchors the composition as an aquatic or cosmic mass. Brown, ochre and mauve-grey washes frame the whole and give it atmospheric depth.
The treatment is typically Cobra: spontaneity of gesture, pure and contrasting colors, a constant tension between elemental figuration and abstraction. The work exudes strong visual energy, both primitive and almost ritual.
A colorful, dynamic piece characteristic of Marcus de Vestele’s paper production in the 1970s, directly from the artist’s studio.
Biography
Marcus de Vestele (1941-2024) is a major Belgian artist, recognized mainly as a marble sculptor (notably in Carrara and with Bardiglio marble).
Alongside his sculptural practice, he developed throughout his life a significant pictorial production, long kept confidential and today sought after by collectors.
Strongly influenced by the Cobra movement (Karel Appel, Asger Jorn, Pierre Alechinsky, Corneille, Constant…), Marcus de Vestele drew inspiration from it to create abstract-figurative compositions of great expressive power. His works on paper from the 1970s are characterized by spontaneous line, free gestural energy, and a persistent tension between figuration and abstraction.
His drawings, washes and gouaches combine the sculptor’s rigor with the lyrical, gestural explosion characteristic of Cobra. Directly from the studio, this paper-based production constitutes an essential and unique facet of his work, occupying a special place in Belgian art of the second half of the 20th century.
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 aux figures
Technique
Watercolour painting
Signature
Signed
Country of origin
Belgium
Year
1975
Condition
Good condition
Height
39.5 cm
Width
48.5 cm
Depiction/theme
Portrait
Style
Cobra
Period
1970-1980
Sold by
