Femme et Oiseau IV - Corneille

A dynamic abstract composition by CoBrA founder Corneille, featuring bold lines and an expressive, geometric arrangement of colour.

Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo, known as Corneille, was a founding member of the CoBrA movement. This group rejected the rationalism of post-war European art, favouring spontaneity, raw expression, and a return to primitive or childlike forms. Femme et Oiseau IV reflects these core principles through its energetic application of paint and its rejection of traditional perspective. The composition is defined by a series of bold, dark outlines that segment the canvas into geometric and organic zones. Within these boundaries, Corneille employs a palette of earthy tones, punctuated by blocks of orange, blue, and yellow. The forms are semi-abstract, suggesting the presence of a figure and an avian shape, though these subjects are fragmented and reassembled into a rhythmic, almost musical arrangement. The heavy, calligraphic lines serve to anchor the composition, preventing the colour fields from dissolving into pure abstraction. Corneille often drew inspiration from his travels, particularly to Africa, which influenced his use of colour and his interest in symbolic, totemic imagery. In this work, the interplay between the structured lines and the looser, painterly infill creates a sense of movement. The surface texture remains visible, showing the physical act of painting. By avoiding rigid realism, the artist invites the viewer to engage with the work on an intuitive level, focusing on the balance of shape and hue rather than a literal narrative. This piece represents the characteristic approach of the CoBrA artists, who sought to liberate the creative process from academic constraints and reconnect with a more primal, expressive visual language.