Pierre Alechinsky, Les trois jours, 1959, Musea Brugge

Pierre Alechinsky is one of the leading figures of the Cobra movement in Belgium. This artistic work community brought together Belgian, Dutch and Danish artists who wanted to express themselves spontaneously in their art. In the Cobra philosophy, anything goes. There is no aesthetic or formal standard, and everything is worth a try. The Cobra group was dissolved in 1951, but it was mainly in the years that followed that Alechinsky developed his personal style. By spreading his paper or canvas on the floor, as is customary in oriental calligraphy, the artist achieved greater freedom of movement. With this technique, Alechinsky developed a characteristic brush hand. Les trois jours is a pure example of his free-flowing and sinuous handwriting. Alechinsky himself refers to it as ‘ants’ tunnels’. The lines and movements in Les trois jours hint at the presence of hidden organic forms. The artist always refused to accept the strict separation between abstraction and representation. From 1958 onwards, more and more recognisable elements and fantastic creatures appear in his works. Les trois jours lies at the turning point in that development.