The window

Raveel was fascinated by the idea that a painting does not end at the frame, but can extend into space or incorporate elements from reality. From the early 1960s onwards, he therefore regularly attached found objects to his canvases: wooden slats, a stick, a birdcage, mirrors, a window, a coat rack. In doing so, he aligned himself with trends in French Nouveau Réalisme and with artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, who was developing his ‘combine paintings’ during the same period. In 'The window', we see an abstract-looking painting to which a real, open window has been attached. That window appears to be situated within our reality whilst simultaneously offering a view of the painted space.