| Christian Karel Appel was a Dutch painter, sculptor, ceramicist, and probably is the most recognized artist from the Netherlands, in the second half of the 20th century. At 19, he studied at the Rijks Akademie in Amsterdam from 1940 to 1943. Appel was a founder of the avant-garde movement COBRA in 1948. He is well known for his Expressionist paintings with uninhibited colors and powerful brushwork and also in 1948, he helped create Reflex, a group consisting of Dutch and Belgian painters. His mother, born Johanna Chevalier, was a descendant of French Huguenots. It was evident that the work of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Jean Dubuffet influenced Appels style. Appels prowess in his craft cascaded into graphic works and illustrations, sculptures, ceramic works and large decorations of buildings and rooms. |
