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Lot Essay
THE ORIGINAL IS IN THE PRADO, MADRID. VAN RYSSELBERGHE MUST HAVE PAINTED IT IN 1882, DURING HIS STAY IN MADRID WITH HIS FRIENDS AND FELLOW ARTISTS CONSTANTIN MEUNIER, DARIO DE REGOYOS AND FRANTZ CHARLET.
THE PRESENT LOT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FORTHCOMING CATALOGUE RAISONNé ON THE ARTIST, CURRENTLY BEING PREPARED BY RONALD FELTKAMP.
VAN RIJSSELBERGHE WAS ONE OF THE LEADING AVANT-GARDE PAINTERS IN BELGIUM AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY, PRACTISING THE NEO-IMPRESSIONIST IDIOM OF GEORGES SEURAT IN THE FIELD OF PORTRAITURE. HIS MERIT IS THAT HE REVITALISED THE GENRE BY HANDLING THE PORTRAIT AS A TRUE WORK OF ART IN ITSELF MASTERING THE PAINTERY MEANS OF COLOUR, LINE AND BRUSHWORK. IN THIS, HE IS THE EXPONENT OF THE L'ART POUR L'ART IDEA. AS POINTED OUT BY R. HOZEE IN THEO VAN RIJSSELBERGHE NEO-IMPRESSIONIST, EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, GENT, 1993, P. 2, VAN RIJSSELBERGHE'S PORTRAITS ARE CHARACTERISED BY AUSTERE COMPOSITIONS, IN WHICH THE SITTERS GIVE A RESERVED RATHER THAN A SPONTANIST AND INDIVIDUALISTIC IMPRESSION. IN THIS, HE UNDERLINES THE HIGH SOCIAL CLASS TO WHICH HE AND ALMOST ALL OF HIS SITTERS BELONGED.
THE PRESENT LOT IS AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT FROM THE ARTIST'S EARLY YEARS AND SHOWS THAT VAN RIJSSELBERGHE DEVELOPED HIS ART THROUGH CLOSE STUDY OF THE GREAT MASTERS OF THE PAST. AS BELGIAN PORTRAIT PAINTER, HE MUST HAVE BEEN FULLY AWARE OF THE GREAT FLEMISH TRADITION IN THE GENRE AS EXEMPLIFIED BY RUBENS AND VAN DYCK AND MUST HAVE FELT THAT HE SHOULD CARRY THIS TRADITION ALONG NEW PATHS. HIS EARLY PORTRAITS (PORTRAIT OF JEAN CAPEINICK OF 1882 IN THE MUSEUM VOOR SCHOONE KUNSTEN, GENT, EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, 1993, NO1, WITH ILL. AND PORTRAIT OF THE SCULPTOR GEORGES VAN DER STRAETEN, 1882, IN A PRIVATE COLLECTION, EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, 1993, P. 6, FIG. 1) ARE PAINTED IN LOOSE, FREE BRUSHSTROKES, THE SO-CALLED TACHISM, PRACTISED BY MOST OF HIS COLLEAGUES AT THE TIME AND WHICH WAS THE EQUIVALENT OF FRENCH IMPRESSIONISM.
RIJSSELBERGHE WAS TRAINED AT THE ACADEMY IN GENT, WHERE HE GRADUATED IN 1880. IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, HE SETTLED IN BRUSSELS TO CONTINUE HIS TRAINING UNDER JEAN FRANOIS PORTAELS. IT WAS PORTAELS WHO SUGGESTED A TRIP TO SPAIN AND MOROCCO, FOR WHICH RIJSSELBERGHE WAS GRANTED A STIPENDIUM BY HIS NATIVE CITY GENT, UNDER THE CONDITION THAT A RECORD WOULD BE KEPT OF THE ITINERARY AND THAT THE WORKS OF ART WOULD BE SHOWN DURING AN EXHIBITION.
THE TRIP WAS UNDERTAKEN WITH DARIO DE REGOYOS, CONSTANTIN MEUNIER AND FRANS CHARLET. THE FIRST TWO WOULD REMAIN IN SPAIN, WHEREAS CHARLET AND RIJSSELBERGHE SPENT MOST OF THEIR TIME IN MOROCCO.
AS POINTED OUT BY R. VAN DE KERCKHOVE - ROBBRECHT,THEODOOR VAN RIJSSELBERGHE EN ZIJN EERSTE REIS NAAR SPANJE EN MAROKKO, IN MISCELLANEA JOZEF DUVERGER, I, 1968, P. 398, IN MADRID MOST OF THE TIME WAS SPENT TO VISIT THE PRADO. IT IS THERE THAT VAN RIJSSELBERGHE SAW VELAZQUEZ' ORIGINAL OF PRINCE BALTHASAR CARLOS ON HORSEBACK OF 1634/5, 209.5 X 174 CM, PAINTED FOR THE GRAND SALON OF THE BUEN RETIRO PALACE, WHERE IT HUNG ABOVE A WINDOW. (J. LOPEZ - REY, VELAZQUEZ, 1996, II, P. 178, NO72, ILL.). THIS EXPLAINS THE EXAGGERATED FORESHORTENING OF THE HORSE.
IT IS NOT SURE IF THE PRESENT COPY WAS EXHIBITED AT THE EXPOSITION D'éTUDES RAPPORTéES D'ESPAGNE ET DU MAROC PAR M. M. FRANTZ CHARLET, THEO VAN RIJSSELBERGHE, DARIO DE REGOYOS (MEMBRES DE L'ESSOR) AT THE PALAIS DES BEAUX ARTS, BRUSSELS AND THE FéDéRATION ARTISTIQUE, GENT IN 1883. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE EXHIBITED WORKS. VAN DE KERCKHOVE, OP.CIT., ONLY MENTIONS A COPY BY VAN RIJSSELBERGHE AFTER A FRAGMENT OF A PORTRAIT OF BALTHASAR CARLOS AND AFTER A SKETCH, BOTH BY VELAZQUEZ. THE COPIES WERE HIGHLY PRAISED AT THE TIME, AS CAN BE CONCLUDED FROM THE EXHIBITION REVIEW, PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL DE GAND, 23 MARCH 1883: M. VAN RIJSSELBERGHE A SU RENDRE AVEC éNORMéMENT DE TALENT LES TONS AUJOURDI APAISES ET MêME UN PEU MORTS DE CETTE LARGE ET SAVOUREUSE PAGE DE MAîTRE. LES BLEUS AFFINéS ET LAVES DU CIEL SONT, DANS SA COPIE PARFAITEMENT RéUSSIS S'IL S'EST IDENTIFIé à MERVEILLE AVEC LA CRANERIE ET LA GRANDE TOUCHE DE SON MODèLE (VAN DE KERCKHOVE, OP.CIT., P. 398).
THE PRESENT LOT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE FORTHCOMING CATALOGUE RAISONNé ON THE ARTIST, CURRENTLY BEING PREPARED BY RONALD FELTKAMP.
VAN RIJSSELBERGHE WAS ONE OF THE LEADING AVANT-GARDE PAINTERS IN BELGIUM AT THE END OF THE 19TH CENTURY AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY, PRACTISING THE NEO-IMPRESSIONIST IDIOM OF GEORGES SEURAT IN THE FIELD OF PORTRAITURE. HIS MERIT IS THAT HE REVITALISED THE GENRE BY HANDLING THE PORTRAIT AS A TRUE WORK OF ART IN ITSELF MASTERING THE PAINTERY MEANS OF COLOUR, LINE AND BRUSHWORK. IN THIS, HE IS THE EXPONENT OF THE L'ART POUR L'ART IDEA. AS POINTED OUT BY R. HOZEE IN THEO VAN RIJSSELBERGHE NEO-IMPRESSIONIST, EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, GENT, 1993, P. 2, VAN RIJSSELBERGHE'S PORTRAITS ARE CHARACTERISED BY AUSTERE COMPOSITIONS, IN WHICH THE SITTERS GIVE A RESERVED RATHER THAN A SPONTANIST AND INDIVIDUALISTIC IMPRESSION. IN THIS, HE UNDERLINES THE HIGH SOCIAL CLASS TO WHICH HE AND ALMOST ALL OF HIS SITTERS BELONGED.
THE PRESENT LOT IS AN IMPORTANT DOCUMENT FROM THE ARTIST'S EARLY YEARS AND SHOWS THAT VAN RIJSSELBERGHE DEVELOPED HIS ART THROUGH CLOSE STUDY OF THE GREAT MASTERS OF THE PAST. AS BELGIAN PORTRAIT PAINTER, HE MUST HAVE BEEN FULLY AWARE OF THE GREAT FLEMISH TRADITION IN THE GENRE AS EXEMPLIFIED BY RUBENS AND VAN DYCK AND MUST HAVE FELT THAT HE SHOULD CARRY THIS TRADITION ALONG NEW PATHS. HIS EARLY PORTRAITS (PORTRAIT OF JEAN CAPEINICK OF 1882 IN THE MUSEUM VOOR SCHOONE KUNSTEN, GENT, EXHIBITION CATALOGUE, 1993, N
RIJSSELBERGHE WAS TRAINED AT THE ACADEMY IN GENT, WHERE HE GRADUATED IN 1880. IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, HE SETTLED IN BRUSSELS TO CONTINUE HIS TRAINING UNDER JEAN FRANOIS PORTAELS. IT WAS PORTAELS WHO SUGGESTED A TRIP TO SPAIN AND MOROCCO, FOR WHICH RIJSSELBERGHE WAS GRANTED A STIPENDIUM BY HIS NATIVE CITY GENT, UNDER THE CONDITION THAT A RECORD WOULD BE KEPT OF THE ITINERARY AND THAT THE WORKS OF ART WOULD BE SHOWN DURING AN EXHIBITION.
THE TRIP WAS UNDERTAKEN WITH DARIO DE REGOYOS, CONSTANTIN MEUNIER AND FRANS CHARLET. THE FIRST TWO WOULD REMAIN IN SPAIN, WHEREAS CHARLET AND RIJSSELBERGHE SPENT MOST OF THEIR TIME IN MOROCCO.
AS POINTED OUT BY R. VAN DE KERCKHOVE - ROBBRECHT,THEODOOR VAN RIJSSELBERGHE EN ZIJN EERSTE REIS NAAR SPANJE EN MAROKKO, IN MISCELLANEA JOZEF DUVERGER, I, 1968, P. 398, IN MADRID MOST OF THE TIME WAS SPENT TO VISIT THE PRADO. IT IS THERE THAT VAN RIJSSELBERGHE SAW VELAZQUEZ' ORIGINAL OF PRINCE BALTHASAR CARLOS ON HORSEBACK OF 1634/5, 209.5 X 174 CM, PAINTED FOR THE GRAND SALON OF THE BUEN RETIRO PALACE, WHERE IT HUNG ABOVE A WINDOW. (J. LOPEZ - REY, VELAZQUEZ, 1996, II, P. 178, N
IT IS NOT SURE IF THE PRESENT COPY WAS EXHIBITED AT THE EXPOSITION D'éTUDES RAPPORTéES D'ESPAGNE ET DU MAROC PAR M. M. FRANTZ CHARLET, THEO VAN RIJSSELBERGHE, DARIO DE REGOYOS (MEMBRES DE L'ESSOR) AT THE PALAIS DES BEAUX ARTS, BRUSSELS AND THE FéDéRATION ARTISTIQUE, GENT IN 1883. THERE IS NO RECORD OF THE EXHIBITED WORKS. VAN DE KERCKHOVE, OP.CIT., ONLY MENTIONS A COPY BY VAN RIJSSELBERGHE AFTER A FRAGMENT OF A PORTRAIT OF BALTHASAR CARLOS AND AFTER A SKETCH, BOTH BY VELAZQUEZ. THE COPIES WERE HIGHLY PRAISED AT THE TIME, AS CAN BE CONCLUDED FROM THE EXHIBITION REVIEW, PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL DE GAND, 23 MARCH 1883: M. VAN RIJSSELBERGHE A SU RENDRE AVEC éNORMéMENT DE TALENT LES TONS AUJOURDI APAISES ET MêME UN PEU MORTS DE CETTE LARGE ET SAVOUREUSE PAGE DE MAîTRE. LES BLEUS AFFINéS ET LAVES DU CIEL SONT, DANS SA COPIE PARFAITEMENT RéUSSIS S'IL S'EST IDENTIFIé à MERVEILLE AVEC LA CRANERIE ET LA GRANDE TOUCHE DE SON MODèLE (VAN DE KERCKHOVE, OP.CIT., P. 398).