Belgium Pointillism
Alfred William (Willy) Finch was a ceramist and painter in the pointillist and Neo-Impressionist style. Born in Brussels to British parents, he spent most of his creative life in Finland. In 1883 he became a founding member of Les XX, a group of twenty Belgian painters, designers and sculptors, who rebelled against the prevailing artistic standards and outmoded academism. He was impressed by the works of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac and changed his own painting style from a more realistic approach into a pointillistic style. In the following years, Finch became one of the leading representatives of his style in Belgium, along with Théo van Rysselberghe. During the early 1890s Finch switched careers from painting to pottery, upon the realization that he couldn't make a living by painting. In 1897, invited by count Louis Sparre, Finch moved to Porvoo, Finland, to head the Iris ceramics factory, and influenced the development of the local Jugendstil. After the factory was closed, Finch resumed his painting career.
Georges Lemmen is a Belgian Neo-Impressionist painter, member of the XX Society. He was close to art from childhood and studied for a time at a special drawing school. In the early 1880s, as a teenager, he was introduced to the work of Edgar Degas and Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, which had a great influence on him.
Georges Lemmen's paintings were marked by the use of fine, clean strokes and a vivid colour palette. He used the technique of divisionism, applying strokes of pure colour in close proximity to one another to create a sense of optical blending and luminescence.
Lemmen's subject matter was varied: landscapes, portraits, interiors and scenes of everyday life. He often portrayed leisurely pursuits and the beauty of nature, infusing his work with a sense of tranquillity and harmony.
Until 1895, he abandoned pointillism to contribute to the development of Belgian Art Nouveau. He created many book illustrations, posters, ceramics, carpets, drawings, pastels and gouaches in this style.
George Morren or Georges Morren was a Belgian painter, sculptor, Impressionist and engraver. The painter and friend of the family Emile Claus who taught him and his brothers several times a week served as his first mentor. He began working in an Impressionist style. In the summer of 1892, eschewing the shortened painting process which was associated with Neo-Impressionism, he began to work in a more spontaneous manner, creating more space for emotions. He became one of the most eager admirers of the French Impressionists. After three years in Paris he returned to Antwerp where he participated in several avant-garde groups. Morren created light-flooded paintings, exhibited at the fairs La Libre Esthétique in Brussels, the 'Vie et Lumière', and at numerous international exhibitions. Towards 1913, he entered a new creative period. The colors in his new works were more subdued. He used grated rough pigment and pastels. Morren remained faithful to impressionist ideals and did not participate in new trends, such as Cubism or Expressionism. He dealt with the scenes of everyday life, interiors, still lifes, landscapes and portraits. His palette became darker and his paintings developed a solemnity and clarity of expression.
Théo van Rysselberghe, a prominent Belgian painter, was a key figure in the Neo-Impressionist movement, particularly known for his adoption of the pointillist technique. Born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1862, van Rysselberghe played a crucial role in the artistic circle Les XX, a group of avant-garde artists who sought to break away from traditional academic art norms. His early works displayed an Impressionist influence, which evolved significantly after he encountered Georges Seurat's pointillist masterpiece at an Impressionist exhibition in Paris in 1886.
Van Rysselberghe's career saw a significant shift after this encounter, as he embraced pointillism, a technique involving the application of small, distinct dots of color to form an image. His mastery in this style is evident in his landscapes and portraiture, where he employed vibrant colors and meticulous attention to light and detail. His work during this period is considered the pinnacle of his artistic achievements, showcasing his talent not only in landscapes but also in pointillist portraiture, a genre he significantly contributed to within the Neo-Impressionist movement.
Despite his success and contributions to pointillism, Théo van Rysselberghe eventually moved away from this technique around 1904, exploring other artistic expressions. Throughout his career, he remained an influential figure in the Belgian art scene, his works continuing to inspire and attract attention for their innovative approach and technical prowess.
For art collectors and enthusiasts, delving into Théo van Rysselberghe's oeuvre offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of Neo-Impressionism and pointillism, highlighting the artist's significant role in these movements. To stay updated on sales and auctions featuring van Rysselberghe's works, signing up for updates can provide exclusive insights into opportunities to acquire pieces by this remarkable artist.
Fernand Verhaegen was a Belgian painter and etcher. He took courses at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts from 1900 to 1906. After graduation, he exhibited his works in Belgium and abroad. His style gradually evolved from impressionism and Belgian luminism to a synthetic form of capturing reality. In his later years, he came back to a personal form of impressionism. Verhaegen specialized in painting Walloon folklore. Verhaegen's works are in many museums of Belgium and abroad.
Edmond Paul Marie Verstraeten was a Belgian painter and etcher. He was a luminist impressionist and painted mainly landscapes, but also still lifes and portraits. As a philosophically inclined non-conformist, Verstraeten painted in the direction of pointillism, impressionism and luminism. As a self-taught artist, he had developed his own style, which art critics classed as luminist impressionism. He was a master at painting the light and snow. He was part of the third generation of the School of Tervuren and Genk School. He also wrote poems.