Corneille (b. Liège 1922, d. Auvers-sur-Oise 2010)
Figure composition, Bou-Saada. Porte du désert, Algeria 1949–1951. Signed Corneille 51; signed on the reverse Corneille 49. Oil on canvas. 80×90 cm.
Exhibited: Høstudstillingen, Copenhagen, 1949, cat. no. 183. Provenance: The current owner’s aunt was Gerda Bønnelyche. An artist herself, she was married to Thorkild Hansen, who was the founder and owner of Galleri Tokanten in Copenhagen. Many artists came here, including Corneille. Corneille was friends with Gerda, and he often stayed with her and Thorkild. He gifted her this work as a thank you for her wonderful hospitality. Gerda owed the current owner’s father money, and, unable to pay him back, she gave him the work in the late 1950s as settlement of her debt.
Like Asger Jorn, Corneille was deeply inspired by his encounter with North Africa in the late 1940s. Bou-Saada, Porte du désert, is one of Algeria’s most important cultural hotbeds, where early civilisations were founded. The life that unfolds in the work also challenges our ingrained perception of the desert as an arid and barren place. In Corneille’s interpretation, however, we find ourselves in a fertile oasis, where the unexpected happens and new opportunities arise.
Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.
CoBrA, 5 December 2023