Emile Claus
Encyclopedia
Emile Claus was a Belgian
painter.
), at the banks of the river Lys. Emile was the twelfth child in a family of thirteen. Father Alexander was a grocer-publican and for some time town councillor. Mother Celestine Verbauwhede came from a Brabant skipper’s family and had her hands full with her offspring.
As a child, little Emile already loved drawing and on Sunday went three kilometres on foot to the Academy of Waregem
(the neighbouring town) to learn how to draw. He graduated from the Academy with a gold medal. Although father Claus allowed him to take drawing classes, he did not fancy an artist's career for his son. Instead, he sent Emile as a baker’s apprentice to Lille
(France). Emile learned French there but the job of a baker clearly did not appeal to him. He also worked for some time with the Belgian Railways and as a representative in the flax
trade.
The urge to paint did not let go of Emile and he wrote a letter for help to the famous composer and musician Peter Benoit, who live in nearby Harelbeke
and was an occasional visitor of the family. Only with some effort, Peter Benoit managed to convince father Claus to allow his son to train at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts. Claus did have to pay for his studies himself though. After graduating, he stayed to live in Antwerp.
In 1883 Claus moved to cottage Zonneschijn (‘Sun shine’) in Astene, near Deinze
(East-Flanders, Belgium
), where he stayed until his death. From his living room, he enjoyed a beautiful view across the river Lys
. The space and light of the country house clearly inspired him.
In 1882 Claus had completed Cock Fight in Flanders, portraying the dignitaries of Waregem, collected around a small arena with two fighting roosters. One of the dignitaries was the Waregem notary Eduard Dufaux. At the notary’s home, Emile got to know Eduard’s niece Charlotte Dufaux. They got married in 1886.
Artistically, Claus soon prospered. As a celebrity, he became a friend of the family with amongst others the French sculptor Auguste Rodin
and the naturalist Emile Zola
, and with the Belgian novelists and poets Cyriel Buysse
, Emile Verhaeren
, Pol de Mont and Maurice Maeterlinck
. He travelled around the world to attend exhibitions of his work.
An important person in the life of Emile Claus was the lady painter Jenny Montigny. She followed master classes at his workshop in Astene and for years travelled back and forth between Ghent and Astene. Although Claus was 26 years older than she was, they began a relationship that would last until Claus' death.
The First World War interrupted Claus’ international success. He fled to London where he found a house and workshop at the banks of the river Thames. He returned in 1918.
On 14 June 1924, Claus died at Astene. His last words were: “Bloemen, bloemen, bloemen …” (‘Flowers, flowers, flowers’). The day before his death, he had painted a pastel of a bouquet of flowers, sent to him by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium
. Claus is buried in his own garden in Astene and a street is named after him in Brussels.
In 1882, Claus completed Cock Fight in Flanders, his major breakthrough and a sensation when exhibited for the first time, in Antwerp. The work won him a gold medal at the Paris Salon.
Artistically and financially, Claus soon prospered. The Antwerp Museum of Fine Arts purchased one of his works, and The Picknick (1887), his well-known painting showing a farmer’s family watching the Sunday outing of the urban bourgeoisie on the opposite bank of a small river (the Lys
), was bought by the Belgian Royal Family.
Under the influence of Claude Monet
, he developed a style that has been characterized as luminism
. In 1904, he started the artist group Vie et Lumière ('Life and Light').
In 1918, at his return from London after World War I and with the dawn of expressionism
, Claus found his fame diminished. In 1921, he was given a last survey exhibition in Brussels, where especially his London works (about the city and the river Thames) made a positive impression on the public.
One of his best known early works is Cock Fight in Flanders (1882). The realistic painting portrays the dignitaries of Waregem of the time, collected around a small arena with two fighting roosters. It is now property of the family Devious and hangs at the manor of the former lords of Potegem, at Waregem
(Belgium)
Stimulated by his friend, the author Camille Lemonnier
, and influenced by the French impressionists, like Claude Monet
whose works he got to know during his trips to Paris in the 1890s, Claus gradually shifted from naturalistic realism to a very personal style of impressionism called 'luminism', because of the luminous palette he used. His paintings the Beet Harvest (1890) and The Ice Birds (1891) represent important turning points in this evolution.
The Beet Harvest shows farmers harvesting sugar beets, hacking them out of the frozen field. The painting is gigantic in size and hangs at the Museum of Deinze and de Leiestreek in Deinze, Belgium. Claus never sold it and after his death, his widow donated it to the city of Deinze on the condition they built a museum to exhibit it. The painting can now indeed be found at the Museum van Deinze en de Leiestreek (museum of Deinze and the Lys area') in Deinze
(Belgium).
The Ice Birds (1891) shows an icy landscape with playing children. The painting was inspired by the novella of the same title by the Waregem novelist Léonce Ducatillon. The naturalistic story is set at the Keukelmeersen (‘keukel meadows’), a swampy area with dips, drains, ditches and trenches near the centre of Waregem
. Every winter, it got flooded and changed into a wide icy plain. At the end of the story, one of the poor hungry boys falls through the ice while trying to pull out a frozen fish, and drowns. The painting is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (Belgium).
Claus is considered to be the pioneer of Belgian luminism. In 1904, he founded the society Vie et Lumière ('life and light') and became known as the 'sun painter' and the 'painter of the Lys'. A magnificent example is his painting Cows crossing the Lys, which shows a group of motley cows being herded across a small river, with sunlights reflecting off the moving water. The painting hangs in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels (Belgium).
During the First World War, while in exile in London, he painted a series of views on the river Thames, known as "reflections on the Thames", in the style of Monet. They are his most traditional impressionist works.
Other well-known works by Emile Claus are:
In 2007, the paintings The Beet Harvest and The Ice Birds have been included in the cultural heritage list of the Flemish community.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
painter.
Life
Emile Claus was born on 27 September 1849, in Sint-Eloois-Vijve, a village in West-Flanders (BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
), at the banks of the river Lys. Emile was the twelfth child in a family of thirteen. Father Alexander was a grocer-publican and for some time town councillor. Mother Celestine Verbauwhede came from a Brabant skipper’s family and had her hands full with her offspring.
As a child, little Emile already loved drawing and on Sunday went three kilometres on foot to the Academy of Waregem
Waregem
Waregem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality lies in the valley of the Leie River, between Kortrijk and Ghent. It is part of the arrondissement of Kortrijk and comprises the towns of Beveren, Desselgem, Sint-Eloois-Vijve and Waregem proper. On...
(the neighbouring town) to learn how to draw. He graduated from the Academy with a gold medal. Although father Claus allowed him to take drawing classes, he did not fancy an artist's career for his son. Instead, he sent Emile as a baker’s apprentice to Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
(France). Emile learned French there but the job of a baker clearly did not appeal to him. He also worked for some time with the Belgian Railways and as a representative in the flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
trade.
The urge to paint did not let go of Emile and he wrote a letter for help to the famous composer and musician Peter Benoit, who live in nearby Harelbeke
Harelbeke
Harelbeke is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Harelbeke proper and the towns of Bavikhove and Hulste. On January 1, 2006 Harelbeke had a total population of 26,172...
and was an occasional visitor of the family. Only with some effort, Peter Benoit managed to convince father Claus to allow his son to train at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts. Claus did have to pay for his studies himself though. After graduating, he stayed to live in Antwerp.
In 1883 Claus moved to cottage Zonneschijn (‘Sun shine’) in Astene, near Deinze
Deinze
Deinze is a city and a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Deinze proper and the towns of Astene, Bachte-Maria-Leerne, Gottem, Grammene, Meigem, Petegem-aan-de-Leie, Sint-Martens-Leerne, Vinkt, Wontergem and Zeveren. On January 1,...
(East-Flanders, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
), where he stayed until his death. From his living room, he enjoyed a beautiful view across the river Lys
Lys
Lys may refer to any of the following:Places*The Lys or Leie, a river in France and Belgium*Lys , a stream of Aosta Valley in Italy*Lys, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in France...
. The space and light of the country house clearly inspired him.
In 1882 Claus had completed Cock Fight in Flanders, portraying the dignitaries of Waregem, collected around a small arena with two fighting roosters. One of the dignitaries was the Waregem notary Eduard Dufaux. At the notary’s home, Emile got to know Eduard’s niece Charlotte Dufaux. They got married in 1886.
Artistically, Claus soon prospered. As a celebrity, he became a friend of the family with amongst others the French sculptor Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
and the naturalist Emile Zola
Émile Zola
Émile François Zola was a French writer, the most important exemplar of the literary school of naturalism and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism...
, and with the Belgian novelists and poets Cyriel Buysse
Cyriel Buysse
Cyrillus Gustave Emile "Cyriel", Baron Buysse was a Flemish naturalist author and playwright. He also wrote under following pseudonyms: Louis Bonheyden, Prosper Van Hove and Robert Palmer.-Biography:...
, Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren
Emile Verhaeren was a Belgian poet who wrote in the French language, and one of the chief founders of the school of Symbolism....
, Pol de Mont and Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also called Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life...
. He travelled around the world to attend exhibitions of his work.
An important person in the life of Emile Claus was the lady painter Jenny Montigny. She followed master classes at his workshop in Astene and for years travelled back and forth between Ghent and Astene. Although Claus was 26 years older than she was, they began a relationship that would last until Claus' death.
The First World War interrupted Claus’ international success. He fled to London where he found a house and workshop at the banks of the river Thames. He returned in 1918.
On 14 June 1924, Claus died at Astene. His last words were: “Bloemen, bloemen, bloemen …” (‘Flowers, flowers, flowers’). The day before his death, he had painted a pastel of a bouquet of flowers, sent to him by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Claus is buried in his own garden in Astene and a street is named after him in Brussels.
Career
From 1869 to 1874, Claus trained at the Antwerp Academy of Fine Arts with, amongst others, the landscape painter J. Jacobs. During his training, Claus attracted the attention of and found favour with the local upper middle class.In 1882, Claus completed Cock Fight in Flanders, his major breakthrough and a sensation when exhibited for the first time, in Antwerp. The work won him a gold medal at the Paris Salon.
Artistically and financially, Claus soon prospered. The Antwerp Museum of Fine Arts purchased one of his works, and The Picknick (1887), his well-known painting showing a farmer’s family watching the Sunday outing of the urban bourgeoisie on the opposite bank of a small river (the Lys
Lys
Lys may refer to any of the following:Places*The Lys or Leie, a river in France and Belgium*Lys , a stream of Aosta Valley in Italy*Lys, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in France...
), was bought by the Belgian Royal Family.
Under the influence of Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
, he developed a style that has been characterized as luminism
Luminism (Impressionism)
Luminism is a late-impressionist or neo-impressionist style in painting which devotes great attention to light effects.The term has been used for the style of the Belgian painters such as Emile Claus and Théo van Rysselberghe and their followers , as well as for...
. In 1904, he started the artist group Vie et Lumière ('Life and Light').
In 1918, at his return from London after World War I and with the dawn of expressionism
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
, Claus found his fame diminished. In 1921, he was given a last survey exhibition in Brussels, where especially his London works (about the city and the river Thames) made a positive impression on the public.
Art
During his years in Antwerp, Claus mainly painted portraits and realistic, anecdotal genre pieces.One of his best known early works is Cock Fight in Flanders (1882). The realistic painting portrays the dignitaries of Waregem of the time, collected around a small arena with two fighting roosters. It is now property of the family Devious and hangs at the manor of the former lords of Potegem, at Waregem
Waregem
Waregem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality lies in the valley of the Leie River, between Kortrijk and Ghent. It is part of the arrondissement of Kortrijk and comprises the towns of Beveren, Desselgem, Sint-Eloois-Vijve and Waregem proper. On...
(Belgium)
Stimulated by his friend, the author Camille Lemonnier
Camille Lemonnier
Antoine Louis Camille Lemonnier was a Belgian writer, poet and journalist. He was a member of the Symbolist La Jeune Belgique group, but his best known works are realist. His first work was Salon de Bruxelles , a collection of art criticism...
, and influenced by the French impressionists, like Claude Monet
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
whose works he got to know during his trips to Paris in the 1890s, Claus gradually shifted from naturalistic realism to a very personal style of impressionism called 'luminism', because of the luminous palette he used. His paintings the Beet Harvest (1890) and The Ice Birds (1891) represent important turning points in this evolution.
The Beet Harvest shows farmers harvesting sugar beets, hacking them out of the frozen field. The painting is gigantic in size and hangs at the Museum of Deinze and de Leiestreek in Deinze, Belgium. Claus never sold it and after his death, his widow donated it to the city of Deinze on the condition they built a museum to exhibit it. The painting can now indeed be found at the Museum van Deinze en de Leiestreek (museum of Deinze and the Lys area') in Deinze
Deinze
Deinze is a city and a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Deinze proper and the towns of Astene, Bachte-Maria-Leerne, Gottem, Grammene, Meigem, Petegem-aan-de-Leie, Sint-Martens-Leerne, Vinkt, Wontergem and Zeveren. On January 1,...
(Belgium).
The Ice Birds (1891) shows an icy landscape with playing children. The painting was inspired by the novella of the same title by the Waregem novelist Léonce Ducatillon. The naturalistic story is set at the Keukelmeersen (‘keukel meadows’), a swampy area with dips, drains, ditches and trenches near the centre of Waregem
Waregem
Waregem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality lies in the valley of the Leie River, between Kortrijk and Ghent. It is part of the arrondissement of Kortrijk and comprises the towns of Beveren, Desselgem, Sint-Eloois-Vijve and Waregem proper. On...
. Every winter, it got flooded and changed into a wide icy plain. At the end of the story, one of the poor hungry boys falls through the ice while trying to pull out a frozen fish, and drowns. The painting is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (Belgium).
Claus is considered to be the pioneer of Belgian luminism. In 1904, he founded the society Vie et Lumière ('life and light') and became known as the 'sun painter' and the 'painter of the Lys'. A magnificent example is his painting Cows crossing the Lys, which shows a group of motley cows being herded across a small river, with sunlights reflecting off the moving water. The painting hangs in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels (Belgium).
During the First World War, while in exile in London, he painted a series of views on the river Thames, known as "reflections on the Thames", in the style of Monet. They are his most traditional impressionist works.
Other well-known works by Emile Claus are:
In 2007, the paintings The Beet Harvest and The Ice Birds have been included in the cultural heritage list of the Flemish community.
Museums and public collections
Claus' paintings can be seen in the following museums, collections, and cities:- The GroeningemuseumGroeningemuseumThe Groeningemuseum is a municipal museum of Bruges, Belgium.It houses a comprehensive survey of six centuries of Flemish and Belgian painting, from Jan van Eyck to Marcel Broodthaers...
, Bruges, Belgium - The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of BelgiumRoyal Museums of Fine Arts of BelgiumThe Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium , is one of the most famous museums in Belgium.-The museum:...
, Brussels, Belgium - The Museum van Deinze en de Leiestreek, Deinze, Belgium
- The Camille Lemonnier Museum, Elsene, Belgium
- The Museum of Fine ArtsMuseum of Fine Arts, GhentThe Museum of Fine Arts ) in Ghent, Belgium, is situated at the East side of the Citadelpark .The museum holds a large permanent collection of art from the Middle Ages until mid 20th Century. The collection focuses on Flemish Art but also has several European- especially French- paintings...
, Ghent, Belgium - The Museum of Modern Arts and Contemporary Art (MAMAC), Liège, Belgium
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Mons, Belgium
- The Mu.ZEEMu.ZEEThe Mu.ZEE is a museum in Ostend specialized in Belgian art from 1830 on. It was created in 2008 from the former Provinciaal Museum voor Moderne Kunst and the Museum voor Schone Kunsten Oostende , both located in Ostend...
, Ostend, Belgium - The Museum of Fine ArtsMusée des Beaux-Arts TournaiThe Musée des Beaux-Arts in Tournai, Belgium, is an art museum.The inception of the museum was in the beginning of the 20th century when Henri Van Cutsem, a Belgian art collector, offered his collection to the city of Tournai in 1905...
, Tournai, Belgium - The GemeentemuseumGemeentemuseum Den HaagThe Municipal Museum is an art museum, located in The Hague, Netherlands.The museum was built by the Dutch architect H.P. Berlage. It is renowned for its large Mondrian collection, the largest in the world...
('The Council Museum'), The Hague, The Netherlands - The Musée de la ChartreuseMusée de la Chartreuse de DouaiThe Musée de la Chartreuse is an art museum in a former Carthusian monastery in Douai. It is the 'musée des Beaux-Arts' for the city.- Building :...
, Douai, France - The Palace of Fine ArtsPalais des Beaux-Arts de LilleThe Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille is one of the largest museums in France, and the largest French museum outside of Paris....
, Lille, France - The Musée d'OrsayMusée d'OrsayThe Musée d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France, on the left bank of the Seine. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, an impressive Beaux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900. The museum holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture,...
, Paris, France - The Museum of Western and Eastern Art, Odessa, Ukraine
- The Fine Arts MuseumsFine Arts Museums of San FranciscoThe Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, comprising the M. H. de Young Memorial Museum in Golden Gate Park and the California Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, is the largest public arts institution in the city of San Francisco and one of the largest art museums in California.-External...
, San Francisco, US - Collection of the Province of East Flanders, Belgium
- Collection of Dexia Bank, Brussels, Belgium
- Adelaide, Australia
- Barcelona, Spain
- Bayonne, France
- Berlin, Germany
- Florence, Italy
- Göteborg, Sweden
- Osaka, Japan
- Reims, France
- Rome, Italy
- Sǎo Paolo, Brazil
- Venice, Italy
- Verviers, Belgium
- Warsaw, Poland