Door weer en wind - Lucebert

A raw, expressive ink drawing by Dutch CoBrA artist Lucebert, featuring gestural marks and spontaneous forms.

Lucebert, born Lubertus Jacobus Swaanswijk, was a central figure in the Dutch post-war avant-garde. His work is characterised by a raw, spontaneous energy that aligns with the CoBrA movement. This ink drawing, titled Door weer en wind, demonstrates his preference for gestural mark-making and a rejection of traditional academic constraints. The composition features a central, dark, amorphous figure suspended above a chaotic, splashed background. The ink wash creates a sense of movement, suggesting the turbulent weather implied by the title.

Lucebert often combined his practice as a poet with his visual art. This dual approach is visible in the way he treats the surface of the paper, where lines and splatters function like rhythmic language. The stark contrast between the heavy, opaque black forms and the translucent grey washes provides a visual tension. The work avoids representational accuracy, favouring instead an immediate, visceral expression of form. The inclusion of the title and date in the artist's own hand at the bottom of the sheet reinforces the personal, diaristic nature of the piece. It is a clear example of the experimental spirit that defined his output during the 1950s, where the act of creation was prioritised over polished finish. The work remains an authentic representation of the artist's approach to spontaneity and his interest in the primitive or childlike aesthetic that informed much of the CoBrA group's philosophy.