Karel Appel (1921-2006) - Abstract Composition (recto-verso)

A unique, hand-painted original watercolour by Karel Appel — and an unusually rich one, as it is painted on both sides (recto-verso), effectively giving you two original compositions in a single work: one in landscape orientation, one in portrait. Each side is signed.

One side is a fiery, mask-like head in flaming oranges, reds and yellows, drawn through with Appel's characteristic bold black brushwork; the reverse is a warmer, earth-toned composition of figures built from the same spontaneous, gestural line. Both sides show the raw, instinctive energy that defines Appel's finest work on paper.

Watercolour on paper, signed. Sheet 19.6 × 12.3 cm; framed 41 × 32 x 8 cm (presented in a gold frame with black mount). The work was recorded by Stockholms Auktionsverk under the descriptive title "Abstract composition"; the title used here reflects the two figures depicted.

Karel Appel (1921–2006) is one of the foremost figures of postwar European avant-garde art. In 1948 he co-founded the Cobra movement in Paris together with Constant, Corneille, Asger Jorn, Christian Dotremont and Joseph Noiret; the wider Cobra circle also included Pierre Alechinsky and Carl-Henning Pedersen.

Original, signed watercolours by Appel — and especially double-sided ones — are considerably rarer than his prints.

Provenance:
- Purchased from a gallery in Gothenburg, c. 1990s, by a well-known Gothenburg family
- Stockholms Auktionsverk, Göteborg
- Private collection

Authenticity:
Accompanied by a signed statement from Stockholms Auktionsverk, confirming the attribution to Karel Appel, the provenance, the medium and dimensions, and that the work is signed. Private information has been anonymized for the purpose of this auction. The original version will be provided witht the artwork.

The work will be carefully packaged and shipped, fully insured.