Lucebert – Original Oil on canvas

1988

This powerful painting Carnaval (1988) by Lucebert is a striking example of his late expressive style, in which figuration, emotion, and painterly freedom converge.

Executed in oil on canvas, the composition presents a dynamic group of distorted, mask-like faces in intense colors such as red, green, yellow, and black. The energetic brushwork and layered application of paint create a direct, almost raw psychological intensity, characteristic of his work from this period.

The painting is signed “Lucebert” lower left.

Presented in a wooden box frame, framed size approx. 96 × 77 cm.

Provenance: Galerie Espace, Amsterdam.

Lucebert (1924–1994), born Lubertus Jacobus Swaanswijk, is widely regarded as one of the most important figures of postwar European art and a leading member of the COBRA movement, alongside Karel Appel and Asger Jorn.

In the 1950s he became the leader of the movement of the Vijftigers, a progressive group of poets that started experimenting with form and content after the Second World War. Lucebert was mainly engaged in poetry at that time. In the sixties his interest shifted to the visual arts, where he occupied himself with painting. In the beginning he was strongly influenced by the Cobra movement, as can also be seen in this work.

His work is characterized by expressive figuration, bold line work, and a poetic, often rebellious approach to image-making.

His works are held in major museum collections, including the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, and Centre Pompidou. Today, Lucebert maintains a strong and stable position on the art market, with continued international interest from collectors of COBRA and postwar European art.

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Custom handmade framing available on request.