Nicolas de Staël

Known for his evocative abstract landscapes and still lifes, Nicolas de Stael developed a bold style that earned him international acclaim. He had a rare ability to convey a sense of his subject without resorting to literal representation, achieved largely through the adept use of color and liberal application of paint; his works are often thick with impasto. De Stael’s compressed layered compositions and emphasis on rectangular forms are evidence of his engagement with Cubism; Georges Braque was his friend and neighbor in Paris during the 1940s.