Roger Coppe

About the Artwork

This 1991 watercolour and pencil work titled "Naked Back" represents a direct graphic transcription of verses by French poet Pierre Emmanuel (1916-1984), whom Coppe admired unconditionally. The composition captures the essence of the female form through expressive line work and atmospheric color, demonstrating Coppe's mature style that emerged after 1980 when his production focused primarily on drawing and watercolour.

The work exemplifies Coppe's approach to the nude figure—a subject that became essential in his artistic practice. His aesthetic canons departed deliberately from contemporary conventions, embracing instead a raw expressiveness influenced by masters such as Francis Bacon, Balthus, Otto Dix, and Honoré Daumier. The piece balances lyrical abstraction with representational elements, reducing the figure to essential lines while maintaining powerful emotional resonance.

About the Artist

Roger Coppe (1928-2012) was a Belgian expressionist painter, sculptor, draughtsman, and master glassmaker. Born on February 10, 1928, in Flawinne near Namur, he was the son of an official whose family moved to Comines in 1938. After studying classical humanities and decorative arts in Tournai, Coppe became a professor of art history and aesthetics at Saint-Henri College in Comines in 1952.

Parallel to his teaching career, Coppe developed his practice as a draughtsman, painter, and sculptor. As a master glassmaker, he operated a stained glass workshop for nearly thirty years, restoring church windows throughout Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Congo. From 1980 onward, his artistic focus shifted to drawing and watercolour, developing a distinctive style between lyrical abstraction and essential line representation.

In 1982, Coppe founded a fine arts academy in Comines-Warneton. From 1985, he exhibited extensively in solo shows across Belgium, including Brussels (1990), Tournai (1991), and Ghent (1992). In 1992, he began exhibiting with the group "Figuration Critique" in Paris. Coppe continued working until his death in Mouscron, Belgium, on October 5, 2012, at age 84.

Technical Details

Artist: Roger Coppe (1928-2012)
Title: Naked Back
Signed and dated: Lower left, 1991
Medium: Pencil and watercolour on paper
Condition: Excellent
Dimensions: 25 x 32 cm / 9½ x 11½ in (visible)
Frame: 47 x 55 cm / 18½ x 21½ in, very good condition, mat and glass
Origin: France

Inspired by the poetry of Pierre Emmanuel, this work exemplifies Coppe's literary-influenced expressionism.