Galleria La Tartaruga, Rome
Private Collection (acquired from the above in the early 1960s)
Thence by decent to the present owner

Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, Mostra Mercato d'Arte Contemporanea, 1963

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is wear to the edges of the canvas with an associated tear in the upper left corner tip. There is some canvas draw towards the left edge. Extremely close inspection reveals a few tiny specks of losses to a small number of the impasto peaks, and an extremely small number of very thin and stable isolated hairline cracks, which is characteristic of the artist's use of medium. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultraviolet light.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Consumed by bold brushwork, feverish lines and swaths of vibrant colour, Paesaggio e personaggi encapsulates a distinct moment in Karel Appel’s career, a point when the figure comes to the fore, yet is articulated through energetic, expressionist abstraction. In its gestural application of paint with sinuous fields of thick impasto brushstrokes, the present work is testament to the strong influence of artists such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Jean-Paul Riopelle, a group that Appel was increasingly associated with after the resolution of the avant-garde movement CoBrA in 1951. The exuberant movement inherent in Paesaggio e personaggi exemplifies Appel’s performative approach to painting and recalls Alfred Frankenstein’s observation of Appel’s dynamic painting process: “To observe Karel Appel in the act of painting is to witness one of the great boxing matches of modern times. He is merciless. He beats, cuffs, and assaults the canvas wildly from all directions at once, and one feels he is scarcely aware of the image being built up on the surface of that canvas as a result of his attack” (Alfred Frankenstein, Karel Appel, New York 1980, p. 10).

Even though he embraced the evocative sensations of abstraction, Appel never fully renounced figuration. Instead, the juxtaposition of abstract with figurative elements conveys discernible contours of subjects that are neither fully human nor animal. Paesaggio e personaggi is intricately linked to CoBrA’s ideology of creating works based on spontaneity and experimentation with inspirations drawn from primitive art forms. Upon close inspection, the presence of a figure on the right can be made out, a distinctive yellow eye staring candidly out at the viewer. Any other character to which the title refers to is blended into a rhythmic landscape of colour. Appel’s very physical manor of work is truly striking. Using varied brushes, palette knives𓄧 and even his fingers to manipulate the wet paint, his frenzied and aggressive encounter with the canvas is palpable.

Distinguished amongst the post-war generation of Dutch abstract painters, Appel consistently thrived to break free from the traditional conventions of painting. In 1948 he was one of the founding members of the avant-garde CoBrA movement, a hugely significant movement in European post-war art. CoBrA rejected rationalism, instead encouraging spontaneity and fantastic imagery. The childlike, abstracted figures and distinctive palette of Paesaggio e personaggi illustrate Appel’s early interest in Jean Dubuffet along with the enduring influence of CoBrA in his work. However, the gestural impulses present on the canvas make explicit his fervent enjoyme💟nt of the material quality of the paint and demonstrate his growing fascination with abstract expressionism and 🌠the work of American artists such as Jackson Pollock and William de Kooning.

Paesaggio e personaggi is a forceful reminder of why Appel was at the centre of the European avant-garde in the 1950s. The powerfully abstract figurations of the work underline his intuitive and pioneering response to key artistic concerns of the era regarding the medium of painting. When elaborating on the importance of this period in Appel’s career, Michel Ragon observed that “In the paintings of the 1950s… there is jubilation, a joy of painting, as well as an uncommon strength, a scope and scale that propelled Appel to the forefront of the international art scene” (Michel Ragon, Karel Appel: The Early Years 1937-1957, Paris 1988, pp. 534-36).