This remarkable relief illustrates Paul Van Hoeydonck's transition from painting towards a more sculptural understanding of space. Fragments of coloured glass are carefully assembled beneath a protective glass surface, creating a composition that oscillates between object, painting and relief.

The work reflects the artist's fascination with material experimentation during the late 1950s and early 1960s, when traditional distinctions between artistic disciplines were increasingly challenged. Light becomes an active participant, continuously altering the appearance of the coloured elements through reflection and transparency.

Van Hoeydonck (1925–2025) joined the Formes group in 1956 and co-founded G58 in Antwerp two years later, marking his shift from figuration into geometric abstraction. He is internationally best known for 'Fallen Astronaut', the aluminium sculpture placed on the Moon by the crew of Apollo 15 in 1971 in tribute to astronauts and cosmonauts who died in the exploration of space.

Details

• Material: Collage, glass
• Dimensions: 51 x 59.9 x 3.4 cm

This artwork forms part of the maurice verbaet collection and can be viewed in our showroom at Volkstraat 58, Antwerp.