Appel, Karel Christian (1921-2006)

Dutch painter and sculptor. He was a founder of the expressionist group Cobra in 1948. He is especially known for his murals for public buildings, for example for the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam (1946). His style employs vivid colours and vigorous brushwork, with often childlike imagery.

The Cobra (Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam) group's paintings were typically expressionist works with abstract shapes and intense colours. He was awarded the UNESCO Prize at the International Biennale in Venice, Italy, in 1954, and first prize at the Guggenheim International Exhibition in New York in 1960.

He was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and studied at the Rijksakadmie van Beeldende Kunsten 1940-43. His first solo show was at Groningen in 1946. Among his influences are Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Jean Dubuffet.