The Formative Years in The Hague and Paris

Born in The Hague, Netherlands, on 27 September 1928, Cornelis Bernardus van Bohemen began his formal training at the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in The Hague. His education spanned the years 1943 to 1948, providing a foundation for a career that would eventually move far beyond the borders of his birth country. By the age of twenty-four, he had secured a scholarship to study in Paris, a move that would fundamentally alter the trajectory of his creative development.

During his five-year residency in Paris, he shared a studio with Corneille until 1957. This period of immersion in the French art scene brought him into contact with members of the CoBrA movement. His early output was characterized by abstraction, a tendency that deepened through his associations with the Nederlandse Informele Groep and the Zéro group between 1959 and 1960. During these years, he worked alongside figures such as Schoonhoven and Armando, exploring the boundaries of non-figurative expression.

The Shift Toward the Figurative

As the 1960s approached, his relationship with pure abstraction began to shift. He moved toward a style that integrated figurative elements with abstract techniques, a method that emphasized color and form over narrative or storytelling. By 1963, this transition was well underway, most notably seen in the large canvases of female nudes he produced in 1964. He sought to avoid anecdotal content, focusing instead on the physical presence of the subject through paint.

His travels during the 1960s and 1970s provided new subject matter that he translated into large, colorful works. A sojourn in the United States between 1966 and 1967 inspired a series of paintings centered on sporting themes, including boxing, horse racing, cycling, and car racing. These works demonstrated a technical virtuosity that balanced the energy of the movement with his established painterly language. Later, trips across Africa in the early 1970s yielded a series of paintings focused on the landscapes of the savannah and the jungle.

Recognition and Later Life

Throughout his active years from 1948 to 1985, he maintained a presence in various artistic circles, including the Posthoorn group, the Pulchri Studio, and the Haagse Kunstkring. His ability to bridge the gap between the abstract expressionism of the 1950s and a more representational approach earned him significant professional respect. In 1966, he was awarded the Jacob Maris Prize.

He remained a significant figure in Dutch twentieth-century painting until his death in a hospital in The Hague on 22 September 1985. His work remains part of major collections, including the Stedelijk Museum, reflecting a career spent navigating the tension between the seen world and the abstract impulse.