Abstract painting with swirling lines in pink, yellow, black, white, green, and purple.

John Cluysenaar, Belgian (1899-1986) Oil on canvas C1960 £1200

Close-up of a painted flower on canvas with a wooden frame, signed 'Clymeyer' in the bottom left corner.
A digital screen displaying a publication page about an art exhibition featuring works by John Cluyseaar and Ben Nicholson, published by Lefevre Gallery in London, in November 1945.

The 'Composition Abstraite' & 'Visage Imaginaire' Series

The rhythmic essence flows through the core of John Cluysenaar's paintings. Profoundly influenced by his love for music, his canvases exemplify the fluidity of brush strokes, resembling notes dancing across sheet music. Notable amongst his later works were the abstract series of fragmented faces

Cluysenaar embraced the 'all-over' composition, a concept gaining prominence in America through artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem De Kooning. With Composition Abstraite, he sought to inundate the canvas with a fiery burst of strokes, departing from a central focal point, infusing spontaneity into the artwork. Employing a restricted colour palette for each piece, Cluysenaar delved into various shades, creating depth and mystique in his works.