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Robert Combas — Exécution de Louis XVI et d'autres
Robert Combas

Exécution de Louis XVI et d'autres

1989

A frenetic, large-scale composition bursting with Combas's signature raw, graffiti-inflected figuration, this work depicts the execution of Louis XVI alongside a chaotic swirl of figures rendered in bold outlines and jarring, acidic colors. True to the Figuration Libre movement he helped found, Combas layers acrylic paint with collaged paper elements to create a dense, carnivalesque scene that strips history of its solemnity, replacing it with anarchic energy and dark humor. The work reflects his punk-influenced approach to narrative painting, where violence, spectacle, and popular culture collide on the canvas in an irreverent reimagining of a defining moment of the French Revolution.

Medium
acrylic and paper collage on canvas
Dimensions
Signed
Yes

Notes

Execution: Painted in 1989, the Robert Combas Archives have confirmed that this work is included in their archive database.

🔨 Auction Lot

20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale

March 8, 2002

Estimate: $100,000$150,000

Sold: $114,300

Lot 88

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About this work

Robert Combas, Exécution de Louis XVI et d'autres, 1989

A frenetic, large-scale composition bursting with Combas's signature raw, graffiti-inflected figuration, this work depicts the execution of Louis XVI alongside a chaotic swirl of figures rendered in bold outlines and jarring, acidic colors. True to the Figuration Libre movement he helped found, Combas layers acrylic paint with collaged paper elements to create a dense, carnivalesque scene that strips history of its solemnity, replacing it with anarchic energy and dark humor. The work reflects his punk-influenced approach to narrative painting, where violence, spectacle, and popular culture collide on the canvas in an irreverent reimagining of a defining moment of the French Revolution.

Medium
acrylic and paper collage on canvas
Dimensions
105.1 x 211.7 cm
Year
1989
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Phillips, New York, London, Hong Kong

Related themes

Historical Subject, Bold Colors, Male Artist, Mixed Media, Figuration Libre, French Artist, Contemporary Artist, Chaotic Energy, Acrylic Painting, Paper Collage, Neo-Expressionism

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