Silvin Bronkart (1915-1967) - Fusain nr15 – Grande composition abstraite

Silvin BRONKART (1915-1967) Charcoal No. 15 – Large abstract composition December 31, 1953 Masterpiece of maturity – post-war Belgian lyrical and biomorphic abstraction Technique: Charcoal drawing on paper Signed "Silvin" in charcoal at the bottom left Artist monogram at the bottom right Signed "Silvin" in ink on the back, with workshop annotations (including the circled number "15" and "A15") Dimensions: 60.5 × 49.8 cm Condition: Very good / exceptional for a paper work from 1953. The paper retains a strong presence, the blacks are intense and velvety, the line remains with remarkable vigor and precision. Minor workshop traces and natural patina of time, perfectly coherent with the age of the work and without visual impact on the composition. No tears. Sold unframed. Provenance Françoise Bronkart Collection, daughter of the artist Direct provenance from the family studio – piece kept within the estate References Listed in the artist’s online catalog raisonné: https://art-info.be/oeuvres/sans-titre-3770 Catalog title: Charcoal No. 15 – dated very precisely to December 31, 1953. Description Magnificent and large charcoal drawing from the end of 1953, created at the height of Silvin Bronkart’s graphic maturity, four years after the founding of the Réalité group (precursor to Réalité-Cobra) in Liège. The composition unfolds a masterful entanglement of biomorphic forms and stylized volumes that evoke figures in motion, fragmented bodies, or organisms in mutation. Sensual curves interlace with more angular structures in a powerful, almost musical rhythm. The charcoal is wielded with total virtuosity: dense hatching, subtle gradients, nervous lines and zones of spatial depth create a fascinating visual tension between construction and spontaneity. This drawing marks a pivotal moment: the energy still close to Cobra here refines toward a more personal, lyrical, and organic abstraction, already foreshadowing the Inquiry of Informal Art while maintaining that typically Liègean graphical intensity. It brings to mind contemporary explorations by Wols or certain Hartung, but with a formal poetry and a bodily density that are very personal. A rare piece due to its ambitious format, its precise dating to the day, its presence in the catalogue raisonné, and its impeccable family provenance. Ideal for collectors of post-war Belgian abstraction, high-quality modern drawings, and Liège art of the 1950s. Biography of Silvin Bronkart Silvin Bronkart (full name Silvin, Joseph, Louis Bronkart), known as Silvin, was born June 14, 1915 in Liège. Trained at the Institute Saint-Luc of Liège (1930-1939), he won the Grand Prize at the end of studies. After the war, he became one of the central figures of the Liège avant-garde and co-founded the Réalité group in 1949 with Pol Bury, Georges Collignon, and others. This group quickly affiliated with the international COBRA movement. Active member of APIAW, he participated in numerous exhibitions in Belgium and abroad. His works are in public collections (Musée d’Art Moderne de Liège, MuZEE Ostende, etc.) and with major Belgian collectors. He died in 1967 at the age of 52, leaving a coherent, demanding, and poetic œuvre.

Estimate:£1,015.39

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