Dotremont, Christian | A la clé qui ouvre…, 1978 — available on Composition Gallery

View in a Room

Lithograph

Christian Dotremont's À la clé qui ouvre..., a lithograph from 1978, exemplifies his signature style of expressive calligraphic abstraction. Dotremont, a co-founder of the CoBrA movement, was known for his logograms—artistic scripts that blend poetry and abstract forms. In this piece, the swirling black forms, resembling a mix of letters and symbols, create a dynamic visual rhythm across the composition. The text at the bottom, partly legible, seems to evoke a poetic narrative, inviting viewers to interpret its meaning through both its visual and linguistic qualities. Limited to an edition of 25, this artwork captures the essence of Dotremont's exploration of language as both visual art and written expression, blurring the line between image and text.

Christian Dotremont (Belgium, 1922–1979) was a poet, painter, and founding member of the CoBrA movement. Known for his innovative logograms—poetic visual works combining calligraphy and abstract art—Dotremont explored the interplay between text and image. His contributions to post-war European art and literature remain highly influential.

Christian Dotremont

A la clé qui ouvre…, 1978

Name: A la clé qui ouvre…, 1978
SKU: 2032

Form

Limited Edition Print

Limited Edition PrintA limited edition print is one of a number of prints made at the same time from one printmaking plate. A fixed number are made and signed by the artist, indicating the printing order, using the format 1/10, meaning first of ten prints.

Medium

Lithograph

LithographLithography is a printing method based on the principle that water and oil do not mix. It can be used to print artwork or text onto paper or other suitable materials. Traditionally, an image was drawn with wax, fat, or oil onto a lithographic limestone surface or plate. Today, metal plates and other surfaces are also used in lithographic printing.

Edition

Edition of 25pc

Available works →

Authenticity Guaranteed
Insured Shipping
Online Since 2005

●

●Inventory 2032

●Signed

●Comes with gallery invoice and certificate

●Sell Us a Similar Artwork. Learn more.

Lithograph

Christian Dotremont

Liberté de figures 1, 1976

Limited Edition Print

Lithograph

Currently Not Available

Christian Dotremont

A la clé qui ouvre…, 1978

Limited Edition Print

Lithograph

Currently Not Available

No sold works to show.

True poetry is when writing has its say.
- Christian Dotremont

A founding member of both CoBrA (alongside fellow artist, Asger Jorn) and the Revolutionary Surrealist Group, Christian Dotremont found critical acclaim in the art world, mainly for his painted poems that he dubbed ‘logograms’ - an exploration into the power of expression through language, both interpretive and visual. In the early 1940’s, Dotremont collaborated with Pablo Picasso, Paul Eluard and Alberto Giacometti to participate in their La Main a La Plume group - an early interest in Belgian surrealism sparked his move into art, and his surrealist peers formed much of his early expression and outputs, before he eventually moved into his famous textual art, retaining the surrealism that he so keenly admired.

Artwork by Karel Appel

What is the CoBrA movement?

CoBrA stands for Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam; the group was formed with a desire to break away from the existing art movements of the time. Their critique of Western society led them to experiment and evolve into a significant international movement. CoBrA was founded on November 8, 1948, at the Notre Dame Café in Paris, where its manifesto was signed by Karel Appel, Joseph Noiret, Corneille, Christian Dotremont, Constant, and Asger Jorn. The group was united by a shared commitment to freedom in both form and color, and their work emphasized experimentation and spontaneity.

Explore »

Christian Dotremont

A la clé qui ouvre…, 1978

40 x 40 cm

Language & Currency

Christian Dotremont