René Mels (1909-1977) - Composition abstraite de 1960
04
days
21
hours
32
minutes
05
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
No reserve price
Expert
Selected by Giulia Couzzi
Master’s in culture and arts innovation, with a decade in 20th-21st century Italian art.
Estimate € 300 - € 380
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 142376 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
René Mels (1909-1977) created Composition abstraite de 1960, an original aquarelle on paper dated 1960, measuring 44 × 29 cm, signed by hand, Belgium origin.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
René Mels (1909-1977) – Composition – circa 1960 – Watercolor and ink – Signed
René Mels (1909-1977)
Composition Watercolor and ink on paper, circa 1960
Signature Monogram “RM” at bottom right. No date inscribed. Verso blank, a few small paper stains.
Dimensions 44 × 29 cm
Sold unframed
Condition
Beautiful sheet, pale tones preserved. Paper slightly yellowed with time, visible grain, a few handling creases. Small isolated stains on the verso. No major loss visible. The recto remains clean and bright. See photos.
Description
Watercolor and ink, untitled, circa 1960. The sheet is washed with yellow and green on the left, blue, violet and pink in the center and on the right. The paper white shows through everywhere. The black ink and the colored stroke — carmine, blue — draw loops, crescents and a hatched oval in the center, close to an eye.
On the left, two isolated red arcs. The gesture is open, the sheet is not filled. It is a sheet from the abstract period, before Cap d’encre, where Mels blends light washes with writing. Horizontal format, same dimensions as the neighboring sheet from the 1960s. Color is laid down in washes, the line over it, without description.
Biography
René Mels (René Meulemans, 1909-1977) trained at the Academies of Leuven and Brussels, then at La Cambre. After an early expressionist phase influenced by Permeke, he moved in 1947 toward abstraction.
Active member of Jeune Peinture Belge (exhibitions 1947-1948 at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels), he joined the group Art abstrait in 1952 and co-founded Cap d’encre in 1963. His work is characterized by a concern for construction, a flexible writing style, and expressive chromaticism.
In 1950, a state grant allowed him to work at Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17 in Paris. His watercolors, engravings, pastels and paintings are held in numerous public Belgian and international collections, notably at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
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 TranslateRené Mels (1909-1977) – Composition – circa 1960 – Watercolor and ink – Signed
René Mels (1909-1977)
Composition Watercolor and ink on paper, circa 1960
Signature Monogram “RM” at bottom right. No date inscribed. Verso blank, a few small paper stains.
Dimensions 44 × 29 cm
Sold unframed
Condition
Beautiful sheet, pale tones preserved. Paper slightly yellowed with time, visible grain, a few handling creases. Small isolated stains on the verso. No major loss visible. The recto remains clean and bright. See photos.
Description
Watercolor and ink, untitled, circa 1960. The sheet is washed with yellow and green on the left, blue, violet and pink in the center and on the right. The paper white shows through everywhere. The black ink and the colored stroke — carmine, blue — draw loops, crescents and a hatched oval in the center, close to an eye.
On the left, two isolated red arcs. The gesture is open, the sheet is not filled. It is a sheet from the abstract period, before Cap d’encre, where Mels blends light washes with writing. Horizontal format, same dimensions as the neighboring sheet from the 1960s. Color is laid down in washes, the line over it, without description.
Biography
René Mels (René Meulemans, 1909-1977) trained at the Academies of Leuven and Brussels, then at La Cambre. After an early expressionist phase influenced by Permeke, he moved in 1947 toward abstraction.
Active member of Jeune Peinture Belge (exhibitions 1947-1948 at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels), he joined the group Art abstrait in 1952 and co-founded Cap d’encre in 1963. His work is characterized by a concern for construction, a flexible writing style, and expressive chromaticism.
In 1950, a state grant allowed him to work at Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17 in Paris. His watercolors, engravings, pastels and paintings are held in numerous public Belgian and international collections, notably at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
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
René Mels (1909-1977)
Sold with frame
No
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Edition
Original
Title of artwork
Composition abstraite de 1960
Technique
Watercolour painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Belgium
Year
1960
Condition
Good condition
Height
29 cm
Width
44 cm
Style
Abstract
Period
1960-1970
Sold by
