L'œuvre en bref

In this work, Nicolas de Staël continues his series devoted to football, a theme he approaches as an exercise in pictorial construction. When observing the game, he does not seek to reproduce a specific action, but rather to convey the arrangement of bodies on the pitch and their spatial relationships. The sporting subject offers him a clear structure, based on the repetition and confrontation of forms, while allowing him to explore marked chromatic contrasts.

The composition is organised horizontally. The lower part is occupied by a large green area evoking the pitch. Above it, a succession of rectangular and irregular shapes, painted in white, red, blue and black, suggest players lined up or in motion. An isolated yellow element appears near the centre, breaking the chromatic regularity. The upper background is dark, almost black. The paint is thick, applied in blocks, with clear contours and visible overlays.

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