René Mels (1909-1977) - Saint-Rémy-de-Provence 2 juillet 1951 - Grande aquarelle et crayon sur papier
03
days
20
hours
44
minutes
43
seconds
 | €1 |
|---|
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 142857 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
René Mels, born 1909, 1977, presents Saint-Rémy-de-Provence 2 July 1951, a large 1951 watercolour and crayon on paper, signed in the lower right, timestamped 2.7.51 – 10h, non-framed, 63 × 47.5 cm, Belgian original work in the 1950s period.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
René Mels (1909-1977) – Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
2 July 1951, 10 a.m. Watercolor and pencil on paper
Watercolor and pencil on paper,
signed at the bottom right Date and time in pencil, under the signature: « 2.7.51 – 10h » Place indication at the top left
Dimensions: 63 × 47.5 cm (sheet) Unframed
Condition:
belle feuille, tones light preserved. Paper slightly yellowed, a few handling creases and placement marks. No significant loss visible. See photos. Presented as is.
Description
Large watercolor taken from the motif in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, on July 2, 1951 at 10 o’clock. The village sprawls between fields and roofs. In the foreground, a wide road and low walls; in the center, a group of houses with pink and ochre roofs, a yellow facade on the right, a bell tower and masses of pines.
Small touches of color — red, yellow, blue — indicate figures in front of the façades. The horizon is restrained by long strokes, the sky washed with rose and very pale blue. The pencil remains visible everywhere: construction lines, hatching, erasures.
The watercolor is laid on in broad touches, not filling the sheet. Greens, pinks, ochres and a pale yellow in the bottom right suffice. It is a working sheet, dated to the time, still tied to the French stay opened by the State scholarship of 1950 (Atelier 17, Hayter), just before Mels joined the Abstract Art group in 1952.
Generous format for a watercolor from this year.
Biography
René Mels (René Meulemans, 1909-1977), born in Herent-lez-Louvain, trained at the Académies of Leuven and Brussels, then at La Cambre. From 1931 he exhibited an expressionism influenced by Constant Permeke. He participated in the Art Jeune salons (1938, 1941). After this figurative period, he moved toward abstraction from 1947. An active member of Jeune Peinture Belge (exhibitions 1947-1948 at the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels), he joined the Abstract Art group in 1952 and co-founded Cap d’encre in 1963.
In 1950 a State scholarship allowed him to work at Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17 in Paris. His work is characterized by a concern for construction, a fluidity of writing and an expressive chromaticism.
His paintings, watercolors and engravings are in numerous public Belgian and international collections, notably at the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique.
Large watercolor of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, signed, dated and timestamped by the artist’s hand.
Sheet from 1951, unframed, between the Paris stay and abstraction. Generous format, controlled light, workshop-visible condition.
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) – Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
2 July 1951, 10 a.m. Watercolor and pencil on paper
Watercolor and pencil on paper,
signed at the bottom right Date and time in pencil, under the signature: « 2.7.51 – 10h » Place indication at the top left
Dimensions: 63 × 47.5 cm (sheet) Unframed
Condition:
belle feuille, tones light preserved. Paper slightly yellowed, a few handling creases and placement marks. No significant loss visible. See photos. Presented as is.
Description
Large watercolor taken from the motif in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, on July 2, 1951 at 10 o’clock. The village sprawls between fields and roofs. In the foreground, a wide road and low walls; in the center, a group of houses with pink and ochre roofs, a yellow facade on the right, a bell tower and masses of pines.
Small touches of color — red, yellow, blue — indicate figures in front of the façades. The horizon is restrained by long strokes, the sky washed with rose and very pale blue. The pencil remains visible everywhere: construction lines, hatching, erasures.
The watercolor is laid on in broad touches, not filling the sheet. Greens, pinks, ochres and a pale yellow in the bottom right suffice. It is a working sheet, dated to the time, still tied to the French stay opened by the State scholarship of 1950 (Atelier 17, Hayter), just before Mels joined the Abstract Art group in 1952.
Generous format for a watercolor from this year.
Biography
René Mels (René Meulemans, 1909-1977), born in Herent-lez-Louvain, trained at the Académies of Leuven and Brussels, then at La Cambre. From 1931 he exhibited an expressionism influenced by Constant Permeke. He participated in the Art Jeune salons (1938, 1941). After this figurative period, he moved toward abstraction from 1947. An active member of Jeune Peinture Belge (exhibitions 1947-1948 at the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels), he joined the Abstract Art group in 1952 and co-founded Cap d’encre in 1963.
In 1950 a State scholarship allowed him to work at Stanley William Hayter’s Atelier 17 in Paris. His work is characterized by a concern for construction, a fluidity of writing and an expressive chromaticism.
His paintings, watercolors and engravings are in numerous public Belgian and international collections, notably at the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique.
Large watercolor of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, signed, dated and timestamped by the artist’s hand.
Sheet from 1951, unframed, between the Paris stay and abstraction. Generous format, controlled light, workshop-visible condition.
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
Sold with frame
No
Sold by
Owner or reseller
Edition
Original
Artist
René Mels (1909-1977)
Title of artwork
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence 2 juillet 1951 - Grande aquarelle et crayon sur papier
Technique
Watercolour painting
Signature
Hand signed
Country of origin
Belgium
Year
1951
Condition
Good condition
Height
47.5 cm
Width
63 cm
Style
Abstract
Period
1950-1960
Sold by
