In the manner of Nicolas De Steal "Composition II" oil on paper circa. 1950, private collection approx. 11x16in. Distinguished Modernist painter Nicolas de Staël (French, 1914–1955) is best known for his abstracted landscapes and compositions, which feature thick, layered brushstrokes and vibrant color. De Staël was born in Russia just before the Russian Revolution, and his family immigrated to Poland in 1919. He later studied art at the Royal Academy for Arts and Sciences in Brussels, before traveling throughout Europe and then living in Paris. He held exhibitions of his early work in the 1930s, and then in 1939 entered the French Foreign Legion, serving for two years. It was in the early 1940s that he began painting his Abstract compositions, inspired by his meetings with Robert Delaunay (French, 1885–1941) and Georges Braque (French, 1882–1963).

GOOD