Corneille

GUILLAUME CORNELIS “CORNEILLE” VAN BEVERLOO (Belgium, 1922 – France, 2010).
“Cat and Bird,” 2000.
Ink and watercolor on paper.
Signed and dated in the upper right corner.
Measurements: 18 x 24 cm; 45.5 x 51.5 cm (frame).

“Cat and Bird,” created in 2000, belongs to Corneille’s period of full artistic maturity and is part of a series of four works dedicated to one of the most emblematic themes of his oeuvre. Through a visual language of great chromatic intensity and a seemingly spontaneous composition, the artist brings together two of his favorite symbols: the cat, associated with instinct and the earthly realm, and the bird, a metaphor for freedom and imagination. Far from presenting a specific narrative, the scene evokes a poetic universe in which both elements coexist in a delicate balance between the playful and the symbolic, reflecting the personal imagination that characterized his entire career.

A key figure in the postwar European avant-garde, Guillaume Cornelis was a founding member of the CoBrA movement, alongside Karel Appel and Constant. Trained in Amsterdam, he was influenced by artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Klee, and Miró, eventually developing a style of his own, recognizable by his vibrant color palette and a world populated by birds, felines, stylized figures, and imaginary landscapes—a world enriched by his travels and his interest in African art. Based in Paris since 1951, he expanded his practice to include printmaking and ceramics, establishing one of the most distinctive careers in European art of the second half of the 20th century. His work is held in prominent

international collections, including those of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum of Dordrecht.