Jan de Clerck (1881-1962) - Framed 1918 Oil A Winter Evening in the Dockyard

Description

With billowing plumes of steam, expressive brushwork, and a dark colour palette, Belgian artist Jan de Clerck (1881-1962) creates a brooding, atmospheric scene. Dated 1918 to the lower left, this striking artwork may have been painted whilst the artist was living in England, having fled Belgium following the German invasion in 1914. Signed to the lower left. Well presented in a gilt frame. On canvas on stretchers.

Condition

Overall, the condition is very good. Some discolouration to the paint. Marks and scuffs to the frame.

Size

49.5 x 62.5cm (19.5" x 24.6")
Framed Size: 65 x 78cm (25.6" x 30.7")

Artist Biography

Jan de Clerck (1881-1962) was a Belgian artist born in Ostend. He studied briefly with the painter Camille Payen in Brussels, but was predominantly self-taught. He developed an original technique using elongated brushstrokes, producing landscapes and seascapes with a somewhat Symbolist aesthetic. De Clerck formed the art society Cercle Artistique d'Ostende, which included several local artists as well as his brother Oscar, who was a sculptor. With the outbreak of the First World War and the invasion of Belgium by Germany, Jan and his brother Oscar escaped to England. After returning to Belgium, de Clerck experimented with new techniques, mixing pastel and watercolour, which he called 'aquapastel', to create the luminous effects.