Skip to main content

Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Dutch, 1921-2006
Karel Appel was a founding member of COBRA, an art movement originating in Germany that strived to replicate and invoke the child’s approach to art. Within this movement he created abstracted and simplified figures, often monsters and fractured depictions of people.
to
1
2
1
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
4
4
3
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
4
4
2
2
134
127
101
101
97
4
Artist: Karel Appel
La Vierge Noire (The Black Virgin), c. 1975
By Karel Appel
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created around 1975, La Vierge Noire (The Black Virgin) is an acrylic on wood sculpture that is hand-signed ‘Appel’ by Karel Appel (Amsterdam, 1921-Zürich, 2006) in blue on the front...
Category

1970s Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Karel Appel Colorful Expressionist Hand Painted Wood Cobra Sculpture Pop Art
By Karel Appel
Located in Surfside, FL
This is an original wooden sculpture with hand painting on both sides. it does not appear to be signed or numbered and does not currently have any label. I believe this might be the ...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

Karel Appel, Close Together, original hand painted wood sculpture
By Karel Appel
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is an original rotating hand-painted multiple wood sculpture created by Karel Appel in 1977. It was published by Editions Press of San Francisco. This piece is hand sign...
Category

1970s Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

Wizzard, 1978
By Karel Appel
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Dating from 1979, this acrylic on wood relief is hand-signed 'Appel' by Karel Appel (Amsterdam, 1921 - Zürich, 2006) in red in the lower left. From an edition of 8, this work was pub...
Category

1970s Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Related Items
Reaching (bronze hand)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Reaching, ca. 1980. Cast bronze. Signed in lower region on wrist. A rare example from the artist's later period influenced by figurative abstraction with expressionist tendencies. James Edward Lewis (August 4, 1923 – August 9, 1997) was an African-American artist, art collector, professor, and curator in the city of Baltimore. He is best known for his role as the leading force for the creation of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art, an institution of the HBCU Morgan State University. His work as the chairman of the Morgan Art Department from 1950 to 1986 allowed for the museum to amass a large collection of more than 3,000 works, predominantly of African and African diasporan art.[1] In addition, he is also well known for his role as an interdisciplinary artist, primarily focused on sculpture, though also having notable examples of lithography and illustration. His artistic style throughout the years has developed from an earlier focus on African-American history and historical figures, for which he is most notable as an artist, to a more contemporary style of African-inspired abstract expressionism. Early and personal life James E. Lewis was born in rural Phenix, Virginia on August 4, 1923 to James T. Lewis and Pearline (Pearlean) Harvey.[5] Lewis' parents were both sharecroppers. Shortly after his birth, his father moved to Baltimore for increased job opportunity; James E. was subsequently raised by his mother until the family was reunited in 1925. They lived for a short time with distant relatives until moving to a four-bedroom house on 1024 North Durham Street in East Baltimore, a predominantly African-American lower-class neighborhood close to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Lewis' primary school, PS 101, was the only public school in East Baltimore that served black children. Lewis grew up in a church-going family, his parents both active members of the Faith Baptist Church, devoting the entirety of their Sundays to church activities. His parents worked a variety of different jobs throughout his youth:[6] his father working as a stevedore for a shipping company, a mechanic, a custodian, a mailroom handler,[6] and an elevator operator.] His mother worked as both a clerk at a drugstore[7] and a laundress for a private family.[4] Lewis' primary exposure to the arts came from Dr. Leon Winslow, a faculty member at PS 101 who Lewis saw as "providing encouragement and art materials to those who wanted and needed it." In fifth grade, Lewis transferred to PS 102. Here, he was able to receive specialized Art Education in Ms. William's class under the guidance of Winslow. He was considered a standout pupil at PS 102 as a result of his introduction to the connection between the arts and the other studies. His time spent in Ms. Pauline Wharton's class allowed for him to experiment with singing, to which he was considered a talented singer. His involvement in this class challenged his earlier belief that singing was not a masculine artistic pursuit. He was able to study both European classics and negro spirituals, which was one of his earliest introductions to arts specific to American black culture. Under Ms. Wharton's direction, he was also involved in many different musical performances,[6] including some works of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Theatre Project.[8] Lewis attended Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, where his love of the arts was heightened through his industrial art class with Lee Davis...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Reaching (bronze hand)
Reaching (bronze hand)
$3,000 Sale Price
40% Off
H 9 in W 3 in D 5.5 in
Head IV
By Tom Binger
Located in Kansas City, MO
Tom Binger "Head IV" Medium: Mixed Media Year: 2018, Signed Size: 14.5 x 10.25 x 2 inches Tom Binger finds it interesting that during a time in which the internet is quickly becomin...
Category

2010s American Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Head IV
Head IV
$999
H 14.5 in W 10.25 in D 2 in
Hand of Glory (Americana, Iconic, Classic, Modern, Mid-Century)
By Tom Binger
Located in Kansas City, MO
Hand of Glory Sculpture; Metal, car paint, vintage light bulbs, motorized Year: 2018 Signed Size: 28.5 x 18 x 5.75 inches COA provided Tom Binger f...
Category

2010s Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Bintou Italy 1969 Bronze Abstract Sculpture
By Andrea Picini
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an intense bronze abstract sculpture and it was created by the Italian artist Andrea Picini. The artwork is hand made by the technic of the ...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

"Seated Figure Looking Up" Modern Mid Century Bronze
By Joachim Berthold
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful modernist 20th Century Bronze piece by Joachim Berthold. Here we find this stylish figure sitting in a hoping position looking up that eludes thought and complexity. A me...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

Abstract Figure
By Raul Diaz
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Raul Diaz (Argentina, b.1950). Abstract Figure, ca. 1970s. Canved Walnut. Measures 17 inches tall including wood base. Carved signature in lower region. Excellent condition. An ear...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Walnut

Abstract Figure
Abstract Figure
$900 Sale Price
25% Off
H 17 in W 5.75 in D 5 in
Mid Century Sgraffito, Saltimbanque and the Card Player, Circle of Picasso.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid 20th Century sgraffito work on plaster by Jean Pierre de Cayeux. The work is signed and dated on the skirt of the card player, bottom right, and on the stretcher of the chair, bo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Enamel

Bintou Italy 1969 Abstract Bronze Sculpture by Andrea Picini
By Andrea Picini
Located in Brescia, IT
This is an intense bronze abstract sculpture and it was created by the Italian artist Andrea Picini. This artwork is a multiple of 70 specimens and it is numbered 69/70. It is signed...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Bronze

1980 Italy Wood Abstract Kinetic Sculpture
By Bruno Chersicla
Located in Brescia, IT
This sculpture is one of a kind piece, no other one exists, and it was realized in 1980 by the well known Italian artist Bruno Chersicla. This is a kinetic abstract sculpture, most ...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Henry
By Joe Brubaker
Located in Wellesley, MA
"Henry," Basswood, Acrylic Paint, Milk Paint, Prismacolor, 8 x 4 x 2 1/2 nches, is one of an extensive series of intricately carved portrait heads in wood and paint by an artist who...
Category

2010s Contemporary Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

Henry
Henry
$2,800
H 8 in W 4 in D 2.5 in
Texas Artist David Pryor Adickes John F Kennedy Bas Relief Painted Sculpture
Located in Surfside, FL
David Pryor Adickes American (b. 1927) John F. Kennedy bas-relief plaster relief sculpture in artists frame incised signature lower center. with gold stars. Deep relief, approximatel...
Category

20th Century American Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Plaster, Wood, Paint

Sergio
By Joe Brubaker
Located in Park City, UT
Joe Brubaker was born in Lebanon, Missouri and raised in Southern California. He received his B.A. from Sacramento State University, then attended UCLA where he earned his MA and MFA...
Category

2010s Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Found Objects, Acrylic

Sergio
Sergio
$6,500
H 25 in W 9 in D 5 in
Previously Available Items
From the Circus series. Animal Fantastique
By Karel Appel
Located in Malmo, SE
Free shipment worldwide. Original sculpture 8 ex. Provenance: Exposed at Stockholm Art Fair 1986. Literature: H. Visser et R. Hagenberg, Karel Appel, The Complete Sculptures, New Y...
Category

1970s Contemporary Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Karel Appel Colorful Expressionist Hand Painted Wood Cobra Sculpture Pop Art
By Karel Appel
Located in Surfside, FL
This is an original wooden sculpture with hand painting on both sides. it does not appear to be signed or numbered and does not currently have any label. I believe this might be the proof, There was an edition of these and this is a unique variant. All done by hand. It is on a base and revolves and rotates easily as there are ball bearings. It is very well made. Christiaan Karel Appel (1921-2006) was a Dutch artist, painter, sculptor, and poet. Born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, he died in Zurich, Switzerland. He started painting at the age of fourteen and studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam in the 1940s. He was one of the founders of the avant-garde movement Cobra in 1948. He was also an avid sculptor and has had works featured in MoMA, the Stedelijk and other museums worldwide. At fourteen, Appel produced his first real painting on canvas, a still life of a fruit basket. For his fifteenth birthday, his wealthy uncle Karel Chevalier gave him a paint set and an easel. An avid amateur painter himself, Chevalier gave his namesake some lessons in painting. From 1940 to 1943, during the German occupation, Appel studied at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, and it was there he met the young painter Guillaume Corneille and, some years later, Constant; they became close friends for years. Appel had his first show in Groningen in 1946. In 1949 he participated with the other CoBrA artists in the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; this generated a huge scandal and many objections in the press and public. He was influenced by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and the French brute-art artist Jean Dubuffet. In 1947 he started sculpting with all kinds of used materials (in the technique of assemblage) and painted them in bright colors: white, red, yellow, blue, and black. He joined the Experimentele Groep in Holland together with the young Dutch painters Anton Rooskens...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

Flower Clown
By Karel Appel
Located in Malmo, SE
Free shipment worldwide. Original sculpture 8 ex. Provenance: Exposed at Stockholm Art Fair 1986. Literature: H. Visser et R. Hagenberg, Karel Appel, The Complete Sculptures, New Y...
Category

1970s Contemporary Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Flower Clown
Flower Clown
H 39.38 in W 47.25 in D 9.85 in
Flower Clown
By Karel Appel
Located in Malmo, SE
Free shipment worldwide. Original sculpture 8 ex. Provenance: Exposed at Stockholm Art Fair 1986. Literature: H. Visser et R. Hagenberg, Karel Appel, The Complete Sculptures, New Y...
Category

1970s Contemporary Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Flower Clown
Flower Clown
H 39.38 in W 47.25 in D 9.85 in
From the circus serie.
By Karel Appel
Located in Malmo, SE
Free shipment worldwide. Edition of 13/25 ex. Provenance: Exposed at Stockholm Art Fair 1986. Acquired directly from the artist. Karel Appel, one of the founders of the CoBrA gro...
Category

1970s Contemporary Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

From the circus serie.
From the circus serie.
H 23.63 in W 16.54 in D 7.09 in
Jumping Fox with Green Virgin
By Karel Appel
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is an original hand-painted multiple wood sculpture by Karel Appel and published by Editions Press, created in 1976. It is hand signed and numbered from the edition of 50...
Category

1970s Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

Couple in Wood
By Karel Appel
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is an original hand-painted multiple wood sculpture by Karel Appel and published by Editions Press, created in 1976. It is hand signed and numbered from the edition of 50...
Category

1970s Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

Multiple Stone Sculpture #350
By Karel Appel
Located in Atlanta, GA
Polychrome decorated original multiple stone sculpture also known as "Floating Family Stone Sculpture." Edition AP 1/13 Signed and dated lower right “Appel 76” One of the found...
Category

1970s Modern Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Stone

Karel Appel figurative sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Karel Appel figurative sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Karel Appel in paint, wood, acrylic paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1970s and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Karel Appel figurative sculptures, so small editions measuring 17 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Anthony Quinn, Walter Bastianetto, and Walter Furlan. Karel Appel figurative sculptures prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $22,000 and tops out at $35,000, while the average work can sell for $28,750.
Questions About Karel Appel Figurative Sculptures
  • 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 19, 2025
    Karel Appel is famous for his influence on the world of fine art. He was a founding member of CoBrA, an art movement originating in Germany that strived to replicate and invoke a child’s approach to art. Within this movement, he created abstracted and simplified figures, often monsters and fractured depictions of people. Shop an assortment of Karel Appel art on 1stDibs.

Recently Viewed

View All