Man with Cap Facing Away (De rug van de man)
Painting on canvas • Roger Raveel
Style & Movement
New Figuration (Nieuwe Figuratie), specifically the Belgian style of post-war figurative abstraction.
Medium & Technique
Oil and mixed media on canvas, featuring flat color planes, graphic outlining, and textured brushwork especially in the figure's jacket and hair.
Creation Period
1972
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 120 x 100 cm; Portrait orientation.
Subject Description
The composition features a central male figure viewed from behind, wearing a black jacket and cap. He stands against a stark, minimalist landscape characterized by Raveel's signature motifs: concrete posts, a blue wooden fence, simplified house structures, and red linear perspective lines. The subject explores the tension between representation and abstraction, a hallmark of the artist's focus on everyday life in Machelen-aan-de-Leie.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Excellent; the canvas appears taut and the paint surface is stable with no visible craquelure or pigment loss.
Estimated Market Value
€40,000 - €70,000
Auction Estimate
€35,000 - €55,000
Provenance History
Likely sourced from a Belgian private collection or gallery specialized in post-war European art; signature and date 'Roger Raveel 72' visible in the lower left corner.
Art Historical Significance
Raveel is a pivotal figure in 20th-century Belgian art. This work is highly significant as it incorporates his 'unpainted' white spaces and his unique vocabulary of rural-industrial symbols, representing the peak of his mature style from the early 1970s.
Notable Features
Features the artist's signature 'white square' philosophy and the 'reversed perspective' lines. Authenticated by the visible signature and distinct 1972 date stamp.
Condition Issues
None noteworthy visible; minor surface dust and possible slight yellowing of the white ground typical of age.
Conservation Recommendations
Maintain in a climate-controlled environment with UV-filtered lighting. The minimalist white areas are sensitive to staining; ensure a contemporary shadow-box frame for physical protection.