Jean Brusselmans

The Flemish painter Jean Brusselmans (1884-1953) was a contemporary of artists such as Constant Permeke and Gustave De Smet. He began his artistic career at the height of Flemish Expressionism, but he was far more than a pure Expressionist. His ultimate goal was to reveal the harmonic order of things.

Brusselmans' oeuvre cannot easily be categorised. He continuously searched for a refined, authentic art, for the correct proportions and for the perfect balance between figuration and abstraction. Brusselmans reduced reality to its essence. Profoundly influenced by, amongst other things, Belgian abstract artists, constructivists, Cezanne's structural use of colour and the objective idiom of Le Corbusier, Jean Brusselmans stands out as one of the most original artists of Belgian modernism. His innovative style was, and still is, a source of inspiration for many contemporary artists. This book focuses on the period 1931-1949, in which Brusselmans developed a highly personal style and idiom.

Essays are contributed by, amongst others, art historian Rudi Fuchs and exhibition curator Hans Jannsen, as well as an interview with conceptual artist Jan Dibbets.

Contents: Preface by Benno Tempel; Interview with Jan Dibbets; Brusselmans Revisited by Rudi Fuchs; On the Visual Motif in the Work of Jean Brusselmans by Hans Janssen; Catalogue; Biography.

Text in English and Dutch.