Life Theodoor Verstraete

spring in schoore

from 1867 attended painting class @ antwerp academy, headed jacob jacobs. classmates of verstraete included emile claus, jef lambeaux, edgard farasyn , henri houben. 1873 1878 verstraete attended free workshop of jacob jacobs, linked academy. year got married. relied finances on aid mother work drummer , decorative painter @ theatre. @ time living in brussels.

theodoor verstraete showed first canvases @ antwerp salon of 1876 or 1877. time onwards, regularly contributed exhibitions. achieved first success in 1882 painting dusk, awarded honorable mention in paris , gold medal in antwerp.

in 1878 verstraete left academy , went work next year in picturesque house in brasschaat, near antwerp. house built in middle of nature in campine region of belgium. here traveled around in caravan paint surrounding landscapes. visited family, presumably still living in brussels, in weekends. verstraete called painter of brasschaat , other painters working him or receiving training him considered members of so-called school of brasschaat of landscape painting. jan frans simons, frans van ballaer , jules guiette deemed members of school. evert pieters , rosa leigh regarded pupils of theodoor verstraete.

verstraete, c. 1896

in 1883 verstraete 1 of 20 original members of group of les xx (the twenty), association of 20 progressive artists in brussels. left group 2 years later, because of more conservative style, not in line other artists in group creating. verstraete in 1883 co-founder of antwerp group of artists called wees u zelf ( ). manifest of group drafted piet verhaert argued maintaining tradition. other members included frans van kuyck, eugène joors, edgard farasyn , emile claus. verstraete in 1891 co-founder in antwerp of artist association de xiii , aimed liberate art of reigning academism. planned organize annual exhibitions (salons) in antwerp group exhibitions. during existence association, disbanded in 1899, organized 3 salons.

high tide

the financial situation of verstraete improved after introduced in 1886 art collector , patron henri van cutsem. van cutsem encouraged verstraete travel various places in netherlands such hansweert, leiden, utrecht , schoore in zeeland, etched , painted. theodoor verstraete spent time in blankenberge on belgian coast van cutsem owned villa , invited artist friends visit. verstraete fascinated mobile spectacle of water , air near sea. while relationship van cutsem resulted in considerable improvement of verstraete s finances, in 1893 struck stroke, possibly led blindness , inability speak. signaled end of artistic career of verstraete.

the destitute verstraete thereafter survive financially through support of patron henri van cutsem, gave him after 1904 monthly stipend. van cutsem regularly bought verstraete paintings, later returned artist. retrospective exhibitions of 1895 in zaal verlat , in 1906 organized kunst van heden (art of today), included works willem linnig junior, welcome source of income.