Composition with Figures 1971

This is a painting by the Dutch artist Corneille, probably made sometime in the mid-20th century. It shows two rather strange, colorful figures set against a divided red and blue background. Corneille was a founding member of the Cobra group, whose work was often characterized by a rejection of academic and institutional artistic values. Cobra artists favored spontaneity, experimentation, and the incorporation of folk art traditions. The painting employs a deliberately crude, childlike style which was a reaction to the horrors of the Second World War. The imagery, though not directly representational, draws on universal symbols to comment on the human condition. It is a move towards freedom of expression. To understand this painting better, we can consult manifestos, exhibition catalogs, and artists' writings from the Cobra movement, as well as historical studies of the post-war European art scene. This work reminds us that art is always embedded in social and institutional contexts.