A strange composition, very expressive, wild and irreverent, left to rest in the studio of an artist, now deceased, since the beginning of 60. Dew tempera on canvas, which not only recalls the expressiveness of the COBRA group (from the initials of Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam), but the reports written in the canvas itself, next to the monstrous figure.
On the back written and drawn straight off, "Apollo Gallery, the historic gallery of Brussels, which became the spokesman of the movement. And then another unidentified writing. All treated with a light hand, in a few lines, decidedly unconventional, carried out at least for canvas support and aging in the '50s.
This alone to identify an author who, because of the nature of the group, it is difficult to identify: Dotremont Christian, Joseph Noiret, Karel Appel, Constant, Corneille, Asger Jorn, Pierre Alechinsky. And then Gaston Bertrand, Louis Van Lint, Marc Mendelson, Anne Bonnet, Jan Cox. Does anyone have any idea?
During the years of World War II and the postwar years of the Gallery "Apollo" was undoubtedly the undisputed leader for a decade (from 1941 to 1951) the gallery was at the heart of the struggle by a group of young artists wanting to break free of paint and Dad thanks to its creator, the historian and art critic Robert Delevoy who directed masterfully for a period of more disastrous in the history of our countries.
Delevoy was an extraordinary man. Passionate and exciting personality, endowed with exceptional organizational skills, with the appetite for risk and adventure intellectual, he devoted himself body and soul to his ideal: to create a link for contacts and exchanges between artists, critics, collectors and art lovers.. "
The group's first exhibition was held at the Palais des Beaux-Arts under Robert Giron. After the Apollo Gallery becomes the homeport fairs Contribution. Through the activities of Contribution, the young guns like Gaston Bertrand, Louis Van Lint, Marc Mendelson, Anne Bonnet, Jan Cox and others have been unable to expand.
Exhibitions intake had a hit. In wartime when artistic activity was reduced minimum, the Brussels public, thirsting for culture, was eager to participate in these events to the point that the couple Delevoy experienced moments of anxiety, fearing that the gallery collapsed under the weight of the crowd!
Lacking financial resources, the young manager (27 years!) And his wife were seeking by every means to live Apollo public auctions, appraisals, sales of books on fine arts etc. .. It was a hell of courage, boundless energy and a passion to take the risk of opening a "center of living art" during the war.
Delevoy chose his artist himself. His choice was decidedly avant-garde and totally stood out from the academic art. He led a crusade against all that was within scélérosé art, the art of great "Funeral" and "official price". He defended an art freer, more spontaneous, more personal, more alive.
Thus established artists such as Ensor, Van de Woestijne Brusselmans and alternated with newcomers like Bertrand, Mendelson, Van Lint, and others.
way, the gallery became a veritable laboratory for young talent.
The German occupation did not see a good eye effervescent activity of the young gallery and never failed to qualify for certain degenerate art canvas hanging on the chair rail.
To publicize the work of his proteges, Robert Delevoy launched his magazine Apollo. The editorial in the first issue of the magazine Apollo contained the author's credo: "Mission - again - a duty arises to fill a gaping void painfully - vacuum created by the museum anemia, deficiency of major exhibitions art, almost total disappearance of cultural magazines - that bring the elite expectant, some spiritual substance, which can enable it, at least a few moments "To escape". Leading experts such as Paul Fierens, Paul, and Luke Hasaerts, De Mayer Charels Others collaborating in the review, while Robert Delevoy chose the pseudonym of Paul Say to comment exhibitions. Several monographs on artists were emerging, and a Schedule of cultural life in Brussels.
lectures, poetry readings, theatrical and musical evenings, mornings so childish .. completed the educational activities of "living art center, breaking the monotony of daily life under the German regime. The efforts of the gallery gave a boost to the arts plastics and resulted in the creation dated July 3, 1945 "La Jeune Peinture Belge, a major artistic movement in art history of our country. In the spirit of its sponsor, the exhibition of the Young Belgian Painters should bring together "the most valuable pictorial tendencies and live more authentically and to reaffirm its commitment to fight for the values \u200b\u200bof a new painting."
Delevoy in his capacity as secretary of "La Jeune Peinture Belge, tied relationships with the Galerie de France in Paris where the avant-garde if there was one. Thus our young artists, not yet confirmed, were presented to an international audience. Exhibitions in Buenos Aires, Stockholm, Zurich, Bordeaux, Cairo followed one another at a dizzying pace. Besides the founding members of the Young Belgian Painting (Bertrand, Bonnet, Mendelson, Van Lint, Quinet, Cox, Anthoons, Barbaix, Godderis, Mahy, Pry, Slabbinck) of newcomers like Pierre Alechinsky (barely 21 years) John Milo, Antoine Mortier, Apollo was a real launching pad for all those young people who found themselves propelled into the world of art and most of whom have managed to make itself a name.
After years Jeune Peinture (1948), Robert Delevoy continues its work for young Belgian and foreign artists. Since 1949, Apollo put his picture rails available to the group "Cobra" and welcomes the abstract art movement allowing new trends emerge. When we know that artists such as Francis Picabia, Herbin, Buffet had their first solo exhibition in Belgium in the gallery of the St Gudula, one realizes that Apollo was for ten years a absolute must for anyone who wanted to break with the past by turning resolutely towards a new art.
Delevoy was an extraordinary man. Passionate and exciting personality, endowed with exceptional organizational skills, with the appetite for risk and adventure intellectual, he devoted himself body and soul to his ideal: to create a link for contacts and exchanges between artists, critics, collectors and art lovers.. "
The group's first exhibition was held at the Palais des Beaux-Arts under Robert Giron. After the Apollo Gallery becomes the homeport fairs Contribution. Through the activities of Contribution, the young guns like Gaston Bertrand, Louis Van Lint, Marc Mendelson, Anne Bonnet, Jan Cox and others have been unable to expand.
Exhibitions intake had a hit. In wartime when artistic activity was reduced minimum, the Brussels public, thirsting for culture, was eager to participate in these events to the point that the couple Delevoy experienced moments of anxiety, fearing that the gallery collapsed under the weight of the crowd!
Lacking financial resources, the young manager (27 years!) And his wife were seeking by every means to live Apollo public auctions, appraisals, sales of books on fine arts etc. .. It was a hell of courage, boundless energy and a passion to take the risk of opening a "center of living art" during the war.
Delevoy chose his artist himself. His choice was decidedly avant-garde and totally stood out from the academic art. He led a crusade against all that was within scélérosé art, the art of great "Funeral" and "official price". He defended an art freer, more spontaneous, more personal, more alive.
Thus established artists such as Ensor, Van de Woestijne Brusselmans and alternated with newcomers like Bertrand, Mendelson, Van Lint, and others.
way, the gallery became a veritable laboratory for young talent.
The German occupation did not see a good eye effervescent activity of the young gallery and never failed to qualify for certain degenerate art canvas hanging on the chair rail.
To publicize the work of his proteges, Robert Delevoy launched his magazine Apollo. The editorial in the first issue of the magazine Apollo contained the author's credo: "Mission - again - a duty arises to fill a gaping void painfully - vacuum created by the museum anemia, deficiency of major exhibitions art, almost total disappearance of cultural magazines - that bring the elite expectant, some spiritual substance, which can enable it, at least a few moments "To escape". Leading experts such as Paul Fierens, Paul, and Luke Hasaerts, De Mayer Charels Others collaborating in the review, while Robert Delevoy chose the pseudonym of Paul Say to comment exhibitions. Several monographs on artists were emerging, and a Schedule of cultural life in Brussels.
lectures, poetry readings, theatrical and musical evenings, mornings so childish .. completed the educational activities of "living art center, breaking the monotony of daily life under the German regime. The efforts of the gallery gave a boost to the arts plastics and resulted in the creation dated July 3, 1945 "La Jeune Peinture Belge, a major artistic movement in art history of our country. In the spirit of its sponsor, the exhibition of the Young Belgian Painters should bring together "the most valuable pictorial tendencies and live more authentically and to reaffirm its commitment to fight for the values \u200b\u200bof a new painting."
Delevoy in his capacity as secretary of "La Jeune Peinture Belge, tied relationships with the Galerie de France in Paris where the avant-garde if there was one. Thus our young artists, not yet confirmed, were presented to an international audience. Exhibitions in Buenos Aires, Stockholm, Zurich, Bordeaux, Cairo followed one another at a dizzying pace. Besides the founding members of the Young Belgian Painting (Bertrand, Bonnet, Mendelson, Van Lint, Quinet, Cox, Anthoons, Barbaix, Godderis, Mahy, Pry, Slabbinck) of newcomers like Pierre Alechinsky (barely 21 years) John Milo, Antoine Mortier, Apollo was a real launching pad for all those young people who found themselves propelled into the world of art and most of whom have managed to make itself a name.
After years Jeune Peinture (1948), Robert Delevoy continues its work for young Belgian and foreign artists. Since 1949, Apollo put his picture rails available to the group "Cobra" and welcomes the abstract art movement allowing new trends emerge. When we know that artists such as Francis Picabia, Herbin, Buffet had their first solo exhibition in Belgium in the gallery of the St Gudula, one realizes that Apollo was for ten years a absolute must for anyone who wanted to break with the past by turning resolutely towards a new art.
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