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Théo Van Rysselberghe was one of the most important Belgian painters of Pointillism, a style attributed to Post-Impressionism. He first began his art studies at the art academy of his hometown Ghent. Later he attended the art academy in Brussels together with James Ensor. There he became a student of Jean-Francois Portaels. The North African works of Portaels encouraged Van Rysselberghe to undertake several trips to North Africa and Andalusia himself. His first public exhibition took place at the Salon Brussels, where clear influences of Manet and Degas could be seen. Van Rysselberghe was also one of the co-founders of the Belgian artists' circle Les XX, a group of young radical artists under the patronage of the art critic Octave Maus.
Maus sent Van Rysselberghe to Paris in search of talent for Les XX. because of his growing connections to the French art scene. There he first came into contact with Pointillism when he met Georges Seurat. Seurat's painting "A Sunday afternoon on La Grande Jatte" had particularly impressed him. The following year Rysselberghe invited Seurat to the Salon of Les XX, but the Belgian art scene could not understand Rysselberghe's fascination. However, he did not allow himself to be put off by this. He broke away from realism and introduced Pointillism to Belgium together with Van Velde, Lemmen and a few other painters. During the next 20 years of his work, he remained more or less faithful to this style. After the death of his friend and role model Seurat, he gradually abandoned this technique and began to make increasingly longer brushstrokes. At the same time, his paintings became much more colourful and brighter.
He spent the last years of his life together with his wife Marie and daughter Elizabeth in the town of Saint-Clair, on the Côte d'Azur. His friend and colleague Henri-Edmond Cross also lived in this area. He had his residence designed by his older brother, the architect Octave Van Rysselberghe, who also became his neighbour. From then on, Van Rysselberghe began to detach himself more and more from the Brussels art scene. His later works were more often devoted to the female nude, such as "Four Bathers". But the Mediterranean landscape and portraits of his wife, brother and daughter became equally popular motifs.
Théo Van Rysselberghe was one of the most important Belgian painters of Pointillism, a style attributed to Post-Impressionism. He first began his art studies at the art academy of his hometown Ghent. Later he attended the art academy in Brussels together with James Ensor. There he became a student of Jean-Francois Portaels. The North African works of Portaels encouraged Van Rysselberghe to undertake several trips to North Africa and Andalusia himself. His first public exhibition took place at the Salon Brussels, where clear influences of Manet and Degas could be seen. Van Rysselberghe was also one of the co-founders of the Belgian artists' circle Les XX, a group of young radical artists under the patronage of the art critic Octave Maus.
Maus sent Van Rysselberghe to Paris in search of talent for Les XX. because of his growing connections to the French art scene. There he first came into contact with Pointillism when he met Georges Seurat. Seurat's painting "A Sunday afternoon on La Grande Jatte" had particularly impressed him. The following year Rysselberghe invited Seurat to the Salon of Les XX, but the Belgian art scene could not understand Rysselberghe's fascination. However, he did not allow himself to be put off by this. He broke away from realism and introduced Pointillism to Belgium together with Van Velde, Lemmen and a few other painters. During the next 20 years of his work, he remained more or less faithful to this style. After the death of his friend and role model Seurat, he gradually abandoned this technique and began to make increasingly longer brushstrokes. At the same time, his paintings became much more colourful and brighter.
He spent the last years of his life together with his wife Marie and daughter Elizabeth in the town of Saint-Clair, on the Côte d'Azur. His friend and colleague Henri-Edmond Cross also lived in this area. He had his residence designed by his older brother, the architect Octave Van Rysselberghe, who also became his neighbour. From then on, Van Rysselberghe began to detach himself more and more from the Brussels art scene. His later works were more often devoted to the female nude, such as "Four Bathers". But the Mediterranean landscape and portraits of his wife, brother and daughter became equally popular motifs.