Nicolas de Staël

Le Bateau [The Boat]

About this artwork

'The Boat' was probably painted on a painting trip de Staël made to the north coast of France in the summer of 1954. After previously painting in an abstract style, de Staël had decided to reintroduce figurative elements into his work in 1952. Although the painting still retains strong aspects of abstraction, we can clearly identify the boat against the deep blue sky, on a dark sea. The artist had also recently abandoned the use of a palette knife and heavy impasto for much thinner, translucent paint, which he applied with brushes.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
  • title:
    Le Bateau [The Boat]
  • date created:
    1954
  • materials:
    Oil on canvas
  • measurements:
    46.30 x 61.00 cm; Framed: 71.90 x 86.80 x 8.00 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Purchased 1962
  • accession number:
    GMA 817
  • gallery:
  • artwork photographed by:
    Antonia Reeve
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Nicolas de Staël

Nicolas de Staël