When Karel Appel passed away in 2006 at the age of 80, he was commemorated with major retrospective exhibitions across Europe. However, the road to that point had been long – from his early attempts in a war-torn Amsterdam to an international position as one of the most original and expressive painters of the post-war era.

Appel studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam during the German occupation and debuted in 1947 with a solo exhibition in Groningen. His first major commission, a mural in the city hall of Amsterdam, met with fierce criticism and was covered over for ten years – an early indication of how provocative his vibrant, spontaneous style could be perceived. After this setback, he left his homeland and settled in Paris, where he soon found like-minded individuals among young avant-gardists.

In 1948, Appel was one of the founders of the groundbreaking Cobra group, along with Asger Jorn, Constant, Corneille, Christian Dotremont, and Joseph Noiret, among others. The name was formed from the members' hometowns – Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam – and became synonymous with a new, free artistic stance. Cobra united painters and poets in a common quest for spontaneity and the joy of creation, in direct contrast to the intellectual and geometric abstraction of the time.

Appel's painting is characterised by an intense energy and strong presence. The paint is applied thickly, sometimes straight from the tube, and the powerful brushstrokes give the subjects – often animals, humans, or fantastical creatures – a character that is both brutal and playful. In his own words, Appel explained: “If I paint like a barbarian, it’s because we live in a barbarous age.” His works reflect both aggression and a zest for life, often with a naïve humour that softens the wild expression.