Fantasiefiguur met muizenstaart - Lucebert

A raw, expressive ink drawing by the Dutch CoBrA artist Lucebert, featuring a distorted creature and bold ink wash elements.

Lucebert, born Lubertus Jacobus Swaanswijk, was a central figure in the Dutch post-war avant-garde. As a poet and painter, he operated within the CoBrA movement, which prioritised spontaneous expression and a rejection of traditional aesthetic constraints. This work, dated 9 December 1970, demonstrates his characteristic approach to line and form. The figure is rendered with a raw, immediate quality that avoids academic precision in favour of psychological impact.

The composition relies on the contrast between the sparse, white background and the heavy, black ink marks. A single, fluid line defines the creature, which possesses a distorted, almost childlike anatomy. The inclusion of a tail, as noted in the title, adds a sense of the grotesque, a common theme in the artist's output. Above the figure, a large, irregular ink blot provides a counterpoint to the linear drawing, suggesting a sense of weight or perhaps an atmospheric presence. The signature and date are integrated into the bottom right, maintaining the work's sense of direct, unmediated creation.

Lucebert often drew from the imagery of folk art, children's drawings, and the subconscious. His work avoids the polished finish of contemporary commercial art, opting instead for a visceral, direct communication. This piece captures the artist's ability to create a sense of movement and character through minimal means. The ink application varies from thin, precise outlines to broad, saturated washes, showing his command of the medium. It is a clear example of his later style, where the initial energy of the CoBrA years matured into a more controlled, yet still highly expressive, graphic language.