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Lot Essay
The art of Edgard Tytgat holds an exceptional place within the Belgian art-world of the first half of the twentieth century. It can be described as a quite unusual combination of a painterly style with strong narrative elements. Well related in artist circles, he was a good friend of the influential artist Rik Wouters. As his early works clearly show the influence of impressionism, he soon developed his own very recognisable style, in which he combined his own inspiration with expressionist influences. His plasticity grew stronger and his colours darker. His style can be described as a simplification of the reality with an intended naivety. He derived his inspiration from daily life and incorporated these experiences in his own dream world. Tytgats work always has a certain poetic and playful character, soft irony, youthful courage and underlying eroticism.
The present lot L'Espionne is a good example of the balance Tytgat found between the expressionist doctrine and his own style. The work is painted in a monotonous black, grey and white palette, like several others he painted in the 1920's. Tytgat himself said that this uniformity of tone in a painting enhances the narrative effect just like in black and white photography. This manner of storytelling and the naive way of painting certainly helps creating a tension between the reality and the dream world of the artist; he is able to create a dialogue between the two. Even though it is hard to understand the full meaning, the present painting introduces us into the world of Edgard Tytgat. (A. Dasnoy, Edgard Tytgat, Brussels 1965, p. 31-32)
The present lot L'Espionne is a good example of the balance Tytgat found between the expressionist doctrine and his own style. The work is painted in a monotonous black, grey and white palette, like several others he painted in the 1920's. Tytgat himself said that this uniformity of tone in a painting enhances the narrative effect just like in black and white photography. This manner of storytelling and the naive way of painting certainly helps creating a tension between the reality and the dream world of the artist; he is able to create a dialogue between the two. Even though it is hard to understand the full meaning, the present painting introduces us into the world of Edgard Tytgat. (A. Dasnoy, Edgard Tytgat, Brussels 1965, p. 31-32)