Jacques Nestle
Gouache on Paper laid on Canvas
29 5/8 x 41 1/2 in
75.2 x 105.4 cm
75.2 x 105.4 cm
signed lower right
By the early 1950s, influenced by American Abstract Expressionism, Nestlé had developed a lyrical, spontaneous style that deliberately blurred the line between figuration and abstraction — using a vibrant, ever-changing black to distill the human form into pure gestural energy. These pieces embody this perfectly: their bold, sweeping brushstrokes read simultaneously as a dancing figure and as raw emotional expression. The body is reduced to flowing contours that echo the curves of Matisse and the anatomical boldness of Picasso's cubist nudes.