Karel Appel is considered one of the most outstanding Dutch artists and one of the innovators of art after 1945: He was not only cofounder of the artists’ group CoBrA in 1948, but even after leaving the group developed a unique style, characterized by an unusual diversity. His works show bright colors, combined with imaginative and humorous elements of militant energy. On the one hand, the artist was inspired by primitive art and children's drawings, on the other hand, influences can be found from contemporaries such as Jean Dubuffet, the main representative of Art Brut. In addition to paintings, sculptures, reliefs, and canvases, he created numerous works on paper, which allowed Appel a special freedom in the development of motifs and gesture.
Press
Shedding New Light on the Late Dutch Artist Karel Appel, Nina Siegal, The New York Times, 04.02.2016Vita
1921
Karel Appel is born on April 25 in Amsterdam
1942
Start of studies at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam
1948
COBRA is founded by the artists Appel, Dotremont, Jorn, Constant and Noiret
1949
Commission for a mural in the cafeteria of the Amsterdam City Hall
1950
Moves to Paris
1951
Commission for a mural for the foyer of the Stedelijk Museum’s auditorium
1954
Represents the Netherlands at the 27th Venice Biennale and wins the UNESCO award
1958
Commission for a mural in the restaurant of the UNESCO building in Paris
1959
Awarded with the International Prize at the 5th São Paulo Biennale
Participation in the documenta 2, Kassel
1960
Guggenheim International Award for the painting „Vrouw en struisvogel” (woman and ostrich)
1964
Participation in the documenta 3, Kassel
1968
Awarded with the Order of Meritof the Dutch Royal House (Ridder in de Orde van Oranje-Nassau)
1999
Awarded with the Order of Meritof the Dutch Royal House (Ridder der tweede graad Commandeur in de orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw)
Karel Appel Foundation is founded
2003
Appointment as an officer of the French Legion of Honour
2006
Karel Appel dies in Zurich on May 3, he is buried at the Parisian cemetery Père Lachaise
Selected Solo Shows
2022
Karel Appel. Spinning Six Decades – Jahn und Jahn, Munich
2021
Karel Appel. Collages – Jahn und Jahn, Munich
Object Paintings – Max Hetzler, Berlin
2019
Late Nudes. 1985–1995 – Max Hetzler, Berlin
Figures et Paysages – Almine Rech, Paris
Feature – Jahn und Jahn | Art Basel, Basel
2018
Tête en carton. Collages 1960 – 1967 – Jahn und Jahn, Munich
2017
Karel Appel. Art as Celebration! – Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Paris
Karel Appel. Works on Paper 1945–2006 – Galerie Ulysses, Vienna
2016—2017
Karel Appel. Der Abstrakte Blick – Emil Schumacher Museum, Hagen
2016
Karel Appel. Retrospektive – Gemeentenmuseum, The Hague
Karel Appel. Werke auf Papier 1947–2006 – Galerie Fred Jahn, Munich
Karel Appel – Galerie Ulysses, Vienna
Karel Appel. A Gesture of Color. Paintings and Sculptures 1947–2004 – The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C.
2015—2016
Karel Appel. Works on Paper – Musée national d’art moderne, Centre Pompidou, Paris; Staatliche Graphische Sammlung München, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich
2013
Karel Appel. I do not paint, I hit! – Museum Jorn, Silkeborg
2011
Karel Appel & Van Gogh – Vincent van Gogh Huis, Zundert
2009
Karel Appel. Jazz 1958–1962 – Cobra Museum, Amstelveen
2007—2008
Karel Appel. Monumentale Aktzeichnungen – Albertina, Vienna
2005
Karel Appel. Opere 1991–2002 – Galleria Arte 92, Milan (further presentations until today)
Karel Appel. Recent works – Gemeentemuseum, The Hague
Karel Appel Retrospective – Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, Bratislava
2002
Japanese Landscapes – Galerie Lelong, Zurich (further presentations in Zurich and Paris until today)
Mutation in Motion – Galerie Ulysses, Vienna (further presentations until today)
Karel Appel – Kunstforum Wien, Vienna
2001
Karel Appel. Beelden 1936–2000 – Cobra Museum Amstelveen
Karel Appel. Pastorale Chiaroscuro – Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Karel Appel. Work on paper 1940–2000 – Gemeentemuseum, The Hague
2000
Recente sculpturen & gedichten – S.M.A.K., Ghent
The Will to Power of the Planets Zomeropstelling 2000 – Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
1998—1999
Atelier del Bosco di Villa Medici, Rome
Psychopathological Art – Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Cobra Museum, Amstelveen
1994
A Retrospective by Karel Appel – The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul; Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Art, Taiwan
1990—1992
Karel Appel. Ik wou dat Ik een Vogel was (Karel Appel - If I Were a Bird), Gemeentemuseum, The Hague; Josef-Haubrich-Kunsthalle, Cologne; Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona; Neue Galerie der Stadt Linz, Linz
1989
Karel Appel – National Museum of Art, Osaka; Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo; Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts, Utsunomiya; Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima; Hakone Open Air Museum, Hakone
1987
Karel Appel. Dipinti, Sculpture e Collages – Castello di Rivoli, Turin
1986—1987
Karel Appel Paintings 1980–1985 – Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol; Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin
1982
The New Work of Karel Appel. Paintings 1979–1981 – Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam
Works on Paper – Gemeentemuseum, The Hague; Staatliche Kunsthalle, Baden-Baden (further locations until 1987)
1981—1982
Appel – Museu de Arte do São Paulo, São Paulo; Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro; Fondaçao Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon; Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid
1978
Karel Appel Retrospective – Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas
1977—1978
Karel Appel – Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City; Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas
1974
Karel Appel Retrospective – Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale; Oklahoma Art Center, Oklahoma; Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix
1972—1973
Appel’s Appels – Musée d’Art Contemporain, Montreal; New York Cultural Center, New York
1970
Appels Oogappels – Centraal Museum, Utrecht
1968—1969
Reliefs – Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels
1968
Karel Appel. Reliefs 1966–68 – Centre National d’Art Contemporain, Paris
1966
Karel Appel. Paintings 1947–65 – Moderna Museet, Stockholm
1965
Appel – Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Karel Appel. Gemälde – Städtische Kunstgalerie Bochum, Bochum
1961—1962
Karel Appel. West Coast Exhibiton – San Francisco Art Museum, San Francisco; Pasadena Art Museum, Pasadena; Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix; Santa Barbara Art Museum, Santa Barbara; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle; La Jolla Art Museum, La Jolla
1961
Stedelijk Van Abbe Museum, Eindhoven; Gemeentemuseum, The Hague
1957
Paintings Karel Appel – Institute of Contemporary Art, London
1955
Karel Appel – Galerie Rive Droite, Paris (further presentations until 1962)
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
1954
First American Exhibition Martha Jackson Gallery, New York
Appel – Studio Paul Facchetti, Paris
1953
Karel Appel – Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels (further presentations until 2005)
1946
Karel Appel – Het Beerenhuis, Groningen
