Description:

Karel Appel (Dutch, 1921-2006). "Personages" lithograph, 1970. Hand-signed and dated in pencil at lower right margin. "Ea" (epreuve d'artist, French for artist's proof) handwritten in pencil at lower left margin. A gorgeous hand-signed artist proof from Karel Appel's "Personage" series featuring one of Appel's quasi-anthropomorphic figures boldly rendered in his signature style with a vibrant color palette. A wonderful work by Appel, one of the founders of the Cobra Group, mounted in an attractive custom frame with a triple mat that complements the composition beautifully, behind glass. Size (image): 26" L x 20" W (66 cm x 50.8 cm) Size (frame): 38.25" L x 31" W (97.2 cm x 78.7 cm)

About the Artist: "Karel Appel was born on April 25, 1921, in Amsterdam. From 1940 to 1943 he studied at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam. In 1946 his first solo show was held at Het Beerenhuis, Groningen, Netherlands, and he participated in Jonge Schilders (Young painters) at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. About this time, Appel was influenced first by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, then by Jean Dubuffet. He was a member of the Nederlandse Experimentele Groep (Dutch Experimental Group, 1948) and established the Cobra group (1948–51) with Constant (Constant Nieuwenhuys), Corneille (Guillaume Cornelis Beverloo), and other painters from Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam. The style distinguished itself through bold, expressive compositions inspired by folk and children's art, as well as by the work of Paul Klee and Joan Miro. In 1949 Appel completed a fresco for the cafeteria of the city hall in Amsterdam, which created such controversy that it was covered for ten years.

In 1950 the artist moved to Paris; there the writer Hugo Claus introduced him to art critic Michel Tapie, who organized various exhibitions of his work. Appel was given a solo show at the Palais des beaux-arts, Brussels, in 1953. He received the UNESCO Prize at the 1954 Venice Biennale and was commissioned to execute a mural for the restaurant of the Stedelijk Museum in 1956. The following year Appel traveled to Mexico and the United States and won a graphics prize at the Ljubljana Biennial in Yugoslavia. The first major monograph on Appel, written by Claus, was published in 1962. In the late 1960s, the artist moved to the Chateau de Molesmes, near Auxerre, southeast of Paris. Solo exhibitions of his work were held at the Centre national d'art contemporain, Paris, and the Stedelijk Museum (1968), and at the Kunsthalle Basel and the Palais des beaux-arts (1969). During the 1950s and 1960s he executed numerous murals for public buildings. A major Appel show opened at the Centraal Museum, Utrecht, Netherlands (1970), and a retrospective toured Canada and the United States (1972).

In the 1970s and 1980s, Appel continued to work simultaneously in sculpture and painting, pushing his abstraction further with his window paintings—a series he began in 1980. Appel also gradually introduced landscape into his iconography, which would develop into a more consistent engagement in the last decade of his work. In the 1980s, Appel also began his collaborations with American poet Allen Ginsberg, which would continue over the next ten years. In his later career, his work was the subject of numerous solo exhibitions organized by Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (1982); Castello di Rivoli–Museo d'arte contemporanea, Turin, Italy (1987); National Museum of Art, Osaka (1989); Stedelijk Museum (1998, 2000, and 2001); and Cobra Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Amstelveen, Netherlands (2001). Appel died on May 3, 2006, in Zurich." (Source: Guggenheim Museum website)

Provenance: private Louisville, Colorado, USA collection

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#189321

  • Condition: Hand-signed and dated in pencil at lower right margin. "Ea" (epreuve d'artist, French for artist's proof) handwritten in pencil at lower left margin. Artwork is mounted in a custom frame with an attractive triple mat behind glass. It has not been examined outside the frame but appears to be in very nice condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

SHIPPING LOGISTICS: As a courtesy to our clients worldwide, Artemis Gallery is happy to handle shipping for most lots sold, taking the hassle (and high cost!) out of having to arrange shipping on your own. Shipping costs will be added to your invoice at auction's end based on information given when you registered to bid - we strive to offer the most economical shipping costs to ensure safe transit. Our shippers of choice are DHL for International shipments and UPS for domestic shipments, but we are able to ship via other carriers at the buyer's expense as deemed necessary or by request.

For shipments of oversize items, Artemis Gallery will assist the buyer in working with a third-party shipping provider. For shipments outside of the USA, customs and duties may apply upon entry into said country, and this fee, if any, is the buyer's responsibility. If you have questions about this, please inquire BEFORE bidding.

Items will be shipped only upon receipt of payment in full and will be insured for their full value - no exceptions.

October 11, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 27.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000