Corneille

Corneille - Studies in the Netherlands; founding of the CoBrA group

Corneille was born Guillaume Cornelis van Beverloo in Liège on 3rd July 1922. His parents came from the Netherlands, where the artist also grew up and attended the Reichsakademie der Bildenden Künste from 1940 to 1943. Although his studies focussed on drawing, he was self-taught and acquired extensive knowledge of painting. During his studies, Corneille became friends with the sculptor, graphic artist and painter Karel Appel. Immediately after the end of the Second World War, the young painter was able to open his first solo exhibition in Groningen in 1946, and the following year, 1947, he joined the Reflex artists' movement together with his fellow students Appel and Constant Nieuwenhuys. However, all three artists left after just one year and founded the famous artist group CoBrA together with other followers of Neo-Expressionism. In keeping with the progressive-aggressive attitude of the young provocateurs, Corneille painted expressively and quickly at this time, but in contrast to his fellow artists, he was more controlled and used a finer brushstroke.

Richly coloured depictions in reduced perspective

Corneille remained loyal to the CoBrA group until its dissolution. In 1949, he travelled to Tunisia, followed by further trips to Africa, Asia and the USA in later years. The experiences and impressions he gained there characterised his painting style, as did the idiosyncrasies of his fellow CoBrA members, yet Corneille retained and developed his own individual style. The rich colours of the Orient made a particularly strong impression on him and many of his figurative depictions reflected this feeling. After the CoBrA group disbanded in 1951 following numerous tumults and public disputes, Corneille's style changed significantly: the rash, impetuous character of the wild CoBrA period finally gave way to a calm, clearly structured pictorial composition. However, he still favoured a simple drawing technique and a greatly reduced depiction of shadows and perspective. In 1950, he moved to Paris with his friend and colleague Karel Appel, where he also worked with ceramics and etchings.

Formative study trips to Africa, Asia and Cuba

Among the numerous trips that inspired and influenced Corneille, his visit to Cuba in 1967 was of particular importance as it heralded a new creative phase in the artist's work. Corneille changed his painting style in favour of lyrical symbolism, with the motifs of women, birds and palm trees playing an important role. The former CoBrA revolutionary remained true to this pictorial language until his death. Considered the most important post-war artist in the Benelux countries alongside his friend and sometime comrade-in-arms Karel Appel, Corneille took part in Documenta in Kassel in 1959 and 1964. His work enjoyed great popularity among private collectors and is therefore largely inaccessible to the public today, although some of his paintings can be found today in the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam and the Cobra Museum in Amstelveen.

Corneille died on 5th September 2010 in Auvers-sur-Oise.