1921 Amsterdam
2006 Paris
Karel Appel (1921–2006) was a Dutch painter, sculptor, and graphic artist, best known as one of the founding members of the postwar avant-garde movement CoBrA. Born in Amsterdam on April 25, 1921, he studied at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten between 1940 and 1943, during the German occupation of the Netherlands. Despite these difficult circumstances, Appel developed a strong interest in modern art, drawing inspiration from Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Jean Dubuffet. His early works already displayed the bold colors and vigorous brushstrokes that would define his style.
Appel first exhibited in Amsterdam in 1946, where his expressive approach quickly attracted attention. Two years later, in 1948, he co-founded the Nederlandse Experimentele Groep, which soon expanded into CoBrA (Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam). Together with Corneille, Constant, and Jan Nieuwenhuys, Appel championed spontaneous expression, experimental techniques, and a childlike imagery as a break from academic traditions and postwar trauma.
In 1949, Appel’s mural for the Amsterdam City Hall caused scandal and was covered for ten years, reflecting the resistance to his radical style in the Netherlands. Disillusioned, he moved to Paris in 1950, where he encountered a more receptive climate and built his international reputation. He traveled widely—to Mexico, the United States, Yugoslavia, and Brazil—and exhibited across Europe and beyond.
Appel became especially known for his murals and monumental works, characterized by vibrant color and an energetic, emotional directness. He also explored sculpture, ceramics, and assemblage, maintaining a constant spirit of experimentation.
Active for more than five decades, Appel produced a vast body of work that expressed a search for freedom and universal human themes. He died in Paris in 2006, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the leading Dutch artists of the 20th century.
website: https://karelappelfoundation.com/karel-appel/chronology
