Prijs zeefdruk karel appel biography

Karel Appel – Rift with the parents, foundation of the artist group CoBrA

Karel Appel was born in Amsterdam on 25 April His family had wished him to take on his father’s barbershop, but young Karel already had other ideas and enrolled without further ado in at the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten – whereupon his parents did not hesitate to throw him out of the house.

He was later reproached several times for studying during the German occupation, but the artist vehemently insisted that his interest had only been in a good education and that any political engagement had been alien to him.

During his studies, Appel met the painters Constant and Corneille with whom he brought the artists’ association Nederlands Experimentele Groep to life. Although Appel had already made attempts at sculpture, his sculptures made of scrap were not very well received.

He had more success with abstract, colour-intensive paintings, with the creation of which Karel Appel inevitably moved