Joseph Middeleer

JOSEPH MIDDELEER (Ixelles, Belgium, 1865 - Assebroek, 1934 or 1939).
"Italian peasant women," 1883.
Pair of watercolors on paper.
Signed and dated.
Measurements: 35 x 25 cm; 43 x 33.5 cm (frame).

Joseph Middeleer was a Belgian painter and watercolorist known for his versatility in the genres of figures, landscapes, still lifes and genre scenes. Academically trained, his early style was aligned with the retro genre of Belgian historical-romantic painting. However, his work evolved, also addressing themes of social realism and producing several symbolist pieces in the 1890s.

Belgian artist Joseph Middeleer trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels and supplemented his education by attending the private studio of Franz Meerts, a painter of genre scenes. Middeleer was very active in the artistic life of Brussels, being a member of the association L'Union des Arts (1876-1885) and co-founder, in 1885, of the new circle of young artists called Voorwaarts ("Forward"), together with Meerts and others. He also joined the Cercle des aquarellistes et des aquafortistes belges (Circle of watercolorists and engravers), founded in 1883. His facet as a prolific illustrator stands out for his contribution to the three-volume publication L'art flamand (1896) by Jules Dujardin, for which he made 1,500 pen drawings illustrating works by old masters. Today, his works are preserved in numerous private collections.