Raymond Coemans (1922-2001) - Meeuwen

This oil painting on canvas by Raymond Coumans (1922–2001) shows a strongly abstracted portrayal of a densely packed group of tall, vertical forms. The elongated volumes in olive, moss, and dark green are built up with broad, visible brushstrokes and dark outlines. Some forms stand upright, others lean slightly, creating within the repetition a pronounced vertical rhythm.

The dark green tones contrast strongly with the bright yellow and orange background and the broad red-painted area along the bottom. Between the large vertical forms there are two small figures drawn in white with black, which, due to their small scale, stand out sharply against the surrounding masses of color.

The paint is free and, in places, thickly impastoed, with visible strokes, scraping marks, and irregular edges. Dimensions of the work: 80 × 120 cm. Including frame: 86 × 126 cm.

Biography of the artist
Raymond Coumans (Maastricht, 1922–2001) was a painter who grew up in Brussels, where his parents, of Dutch Limburg descent, had settled shortly before his birth. From a young age he engaged in drawing and watercolor; as a teenager he also taught himself the oil painting technique. In his oeuvre there are landscapes, coastal and sea views, and other figurative subjects, in which the visible brushwork and an increasing simplification of form play an important role. Coumans worked in both oil and watercolor and other techniques. An early work of his, Sint-Idesbald from around 1950, is part of the movable heritage of the municipality of Saint-Gilles in Brussels.