Karel Appel (Amsterdam, 1921) is, without a doubt, one of the most prominent Dutch visual artists of the twentieth century. His influence on the painting of the latter half of the twentieth century has had great significance, internationally as well. Appel was among the founders of the Dutch Experimentele Groep in 1948; that same year gave rise to Cobra, an international group of like-minded expressionist artists who came predominantly from Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam. In 1950 Appel moved to Paris, and later he came to live and work in Monaco, Tuscany and New York. In recent years he has been spending longer and more frequent periods in Amsterdam.
Now, at eighty years of age, Karel Appel - a painter with enormous experience, depth and concentration - continues to be extraordinarily active. Pastorale Chiaroscuro presents a selection of his paintings from the last twenty years. Mainly landscapes, figures in landscape, animals and nudes, the subjects lend themselves to his instinct and his style. They are works in which light and color are brought together with exuberance and virtuosity. In a conversation, Rudi Fuchs (director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam) and Karel Appel touch on the great painterly themes - color, light, the brushstroke and matter - but also Appel's artistic development and his connection with painters such as Van Gogh, Mondrian and Rembrandt. Appel also speaks about his own motives and interests during the interview.
In honor of Karel Appel's eightieth birthday, Johannes Gachnang and Jean Frémon have each contributed an essay: Gachnang delves into a kaleidoscopic exploration of Appel's creativity; Frémon describes, in a letter to Rudi Fuchs, the memories, associations and longings that are evoked by the intensity of Appel's painting.
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