This catalogue raisonné lists the drawings and paintings of Elie Borgrave executed between 1943 and 1992.
This site “Elie Borgrave” aims to gather and share, through its online publication, the most accurate and rigorous information possible on the works of the pictorial production of Elie Borgrave from 1940 to 1992. Designed in the style of a work in progress, the catalog raisonné is constantly modified and expanded, according to the results of the research undertaken in Europe and in the world. We invite the owners of pictorial works and drawings of the artist to send us the data relating to these pieces, made public, unpublished or unknown, by e-mail, and we thank them in advance.
Elie Borgrave dated his work with his initial,
stylised by the use of greek sigma Σ, and the year the work was created.
Sometimes, he added a number according to his works created during the year.
Each work is reproduced as accurately as the documentation provided permits. Some works for which we are unable to locate where abouts are reproduced from the catalogues or press publications in which they appeared at the time.
Each illustration is accompanied by an historical notice, the name of the owners of the work and the participation to exhibitions.
TITLES
Each work carries the title given by the artist or by the art dealer in exhibition catalogs.
First personal exhibition : Stable Gallery in New-York, Jan. 1955
Along his friend Bram Van Velde, he did not wish to title his works and named them “Composition abstraite” (Abstract composition) or the names of the principal colors present in a work, but for exhibitions he gave titles.
TECHNICS AND SUPPORT
The support used is indicated for each work. For the works on paper, Elie borgrave primarily used the traditional techniques as gouache, charcoal, pastel, ink and pencil.
For his oil paintings, he used generally canvas but also liked to work on the smooth surface of plywood and cardboard. In his quest for perfection, Elie Borgrave worked colors, different shades of color and layering. It got extremely subtle shades and combinations of colors very powerful in a balanced harmony.
The work of the material itself is essential, he played with the thicknesses of the paint to give the power line and alternating solids and the structure of the drawing.
He worked his own frames they are made of wood (often painted black) or aluminum which he choosed the profile carefully. Sometimes, he used a double painted frame.
FORMAT
Elie Borgrave used stretchers which sizes are indicated in centimeters. For oil paintings, he was particularly fond of large formats and reserve smaller in cardboard or plywood.
