La ville noyée - Constant Nieuwenhuys

A striking abstract work by Dutch artist Constant Nieuwenhuys, featuring gestural marks and a high-contrast palette that evokes a dissolving cityscape.

La ville noyée, or The Drowned City, is a work by the Dutch artist Constant Nieuwenhuys, often referred to simply as Constant. Produced during his association with the CoBrA movement, this painting reflects the experimental and raw aesthetic that defined the group. The composition is dominated by a stark, high-contrast palette of black, white, and primary accents. Vertical drips and gestural marks suggest the skeletal remains of an urban environment, partially submerged or dissolving into the dark background.

Constant was a founding member of the CoBrA group, which prioritised spontaneity and the rejection of traditional artistic conventions. In this work, the application of paint is direct and unrefined. The vertical lines create a sense of structural collapse, while the scattered dots of red, blue, and purple introduce a rhythmic, almost chaotic energy. The title provides a thematic anchor, suggesting a vision of urban decay or a post-apocalyptic cityscape, themes that would later inform his extensive New Babylon project.

The painting avoids representational clarity, opting instead for a visual language that communicates through texture and movement. The contrast between the heavy, opaque white forms and the deep black ground creates a sense of depth, despite the overall flatness of the surface. This piece captures a moment of transition in Constant's career, moving away from the more figurative elements of his early work toward the abstract, architectural inquiries that occupied his later years. It is a study in tension, where the rigid geometry of the city meets the fluid, unpredictable nature of the paint itself.