Silvin BRONKART "Connivence" Oil on canvas 1961

Legacy of the CoBrA movement

"Intelligence is meant to be possessed by things." S.B. 

A masterful pictorial presence

Painted in 1961, "Connivence" stands as one of the most powerful testaments to Silvin Bronkart's artistic maturity, at the precise moment when his abstract language reached a particularly accomplished coherence. 

"Form is provoked by what surrounds it. It is always the relationship of one thing to others that gives it meaning." S.B. 

The composition offers a masterful dramatic tension between an architectural block of deep blues and greens on the left and a flamboyant burst of incandescent reds on the right. Worked through successive overlays, the pictorial matter here acquires a unique vibration. The artist subtly allows the canvas weave to show through in places, creating a fascinating dialogue between the strength of the color and the materiality of the support. It is a constructed, thoughtful, and internalized abstraction that captures the very essence of the great plastic inquiries of the early 1960s. 

Exceptional Character: An absolute market rarity

"Only the sensitive and rational play of colored surfaces counts. Intelligence needs sensitivity or imagination to be in motion." S.B.

For the collector, this work represents a virtually unique opportunity on the art market. While Silvin Bronkart favored paper throughout his career for its experimental freedom, "Connivence" is one of only two oils on canvas recorded to date in his entire artistic corpus. 

Transposing his abstract vocabulary onto a textile support and in such a format is exceptional for Bronkart. This novel materiality makes it a museum-quality piece, an indispensable milestone for understanding the zenith of his creation. 

Historical Context & Impeccable Provenance 

"Personality lies in assimilation." S.B.

Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Liège (where he won the Grand Prix in 1939) and later active within the international CoBrA movement from 1949, Silvin Bronkart is an essential figure of the Belgian post-war avant-garde, combining the constructive rigor of the Liège school with a pure poetic sensibility. 

An open book on art history 

The work features the artist's monumental handwritten signature (Silvin), its 1961 dating applied in magenta pigment, as well as the address of his famous attic studio in Liège at 11, Quai des Tanneurs. 

One can discover the ink stamp of the prestigious Albert Sauveur house in Liège (5, Rue du Pot d'Or), a historic color merchant and a legend to the great masters of the Liège school, as well as the size number 80 inscribed by stencil. 

The original label displays a price of 13,000 Francs, testifying to the importance and already considerable value accorded to this canvas at the time. 

Coming in direct line from the artist's daughter, the piece benefits from total traceability and indisputable historical authenticity. 

Condition Report 

The work has come down to us in an excellent state of original preservation. The paint layer is perfectly stable, having undergone no restoration or structural alteration. The pigments have retained all their depth and saturation. The canvas is presented in its original wooden frame chosen by the artist, a raw and elegant setting that perfects this collector's item, ready to integrate into an exceptional interior. 

The Galerie POPINCOURT opinion

What seduced us in "Connivence" is its physical presence and its extraordinary history. Presenting an oil on canvas by Silvin Bronkart is an event in itself, as his corpus on this support is so rare. But beyond the collector's treasure, it is a visual shock. The power of the reds slicing through the density of the deep blues creates a captivating, almost theatrical atmosphere. It is a historic work that has remained in impeccable original condition and has been protected by his family for decades. For Galerie POPINCOURT, it is the perfect incarnation of the post-war gem: impossible to find, soulful, and possessing mad modernity.

Information 

Artist: Silvin Bronkart (Belgium, 1915–1967)
Title: Connivence
Provenance: Private collection; estate of the artist's daughter
Date: 1961 
Technique: Oil on canvas (Albert Sauveur stretcher, Liège)
Dimensions: 83 × 62 cm (with its original frame)
Condition: Excellent original condition
Museum reference: Works by the artist are held by the Belgian State, the museums of Liège, Ostend, the Museum of Abstract Art in Brussels, and the prestigious Louisiana Museum in Copenhagen (Denmark) 

Contents of shipment 

"Connivence" oil on canvas by Silvin Bronkart (1961)
Certificate of Authenticity