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Karel Appel (1921–2006)

Dutch

Karel Appel was a Dutch painter and sculptor and a co-founder of CoBrA in 1948. His work is known for energetic handling, emphatic colour and forms that move between abstraction and recognisable figures. Born in Amsterdam, he developed an international practice extending well beyond the group's brief existence. Experimentation with materials and methods remained central to his painting, sculpture and graphic work throughout his career.

Biography

Karel Appel trained in Amsterdam and helped establish CoBrA in Paris in 1948 with artists including Constant, Corneille and Asger Jorn. The group valued experimentation and forms of expression outside academic convention. Although CoBrA dissolved in 1951, its spirit of enquiry remained relevant to Appel's work. After moving to Paris in 1950, Appel developed connections with the city's post-war art world and later worked extensively in the United States. His images often suggest people, animals or landscapes while retaining the freedom of gestural abstraction. He continued to test new approaches, from large-scale painting to reliefs, prints and sculptural assemblages. His career therefore cannot be contained within a single CoBrA style. Different periods offer distinct ways of considering colour, physical energy and the emergence of a figure from paint or material.

Available works

Silkscreen, 47/100, 1950

Silk screen print

Untitled, 3/120

Silk screen print

Collecting & enquiries

Appel's works can offer a vivid encounter with the experimental ambitions of post-war European art. Compare how colour and simplified forms operate in the prints shown here. Enquire about the edition, publisher, printing date and condition of each individual sheet.

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