The first presentation held in the Danubiana, a newly opened museum of modern art, was the exhibition of Dutch painting displaying the works from the collection of Gerard Meulensteen.
It presented the work of fifteen artists – key figures of Dutch post-war painting, including Karel Appel, Gerti Bierenbroodspot, Kees van Bohemen, Eugène Brands, Constant, Corneille, Rein Dool, Gérard Grassere, Arty Grimm, O. C. Hooymeijer, Ger Lataster, Jan Sierhuis, Richard Smeets, Ad Snijders and Alexander Vogels. The development of Dutch painting was profoundly influenced by the activities of the Cobra (1948 – 1951), an experimental group whose anti-traditionalist, free and spontaneous expression opened up unexpected possibilities for art. Corneille, Constant, Appel and Brands were the leading members of the Cobra. Other participating artists also pursued the path of experimentation, seeking new art forms. Their concepts oscillated between expressive figuration and abstract Action Painting.
