Jean-Michel Cels

JEAN-MICHEL CELS (Brussels, Belgium, 1819- 1881).
"Study of nature", 1844.
Oil on paper.
Presents label on the back.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner. Signed, dated and titled on the back.
Measurements: 26 x 31 cm; 39 x 44,5 cm (frame).
This work represents with great precision and detail a set of equestrian objects, among them a saddle, bridles, straps, chains and a whip. Arranged with apparent carelessness on an earthy surface, the elements refer to the rural and animal world, moving away from the traditional still lifes of flowers or fruits. The artist demonstrates here her technical mastery and her ability to capture textures, such as leather, metal and rope, through a sober palette and a neutral background that highlights the objects. This composition evokes the everydayness of the country setting and reveals Berthe Art's interest in decorative and utilitarian objects, characteristic of his style within the genre of accessory still lifes.
Jean-Michel Cels was the son of Angélique Verbrugghen and the painter Cornelis Cels, who played a key role in his artistic training, as well as that of his younger brother, Josse-Bruno Cels (1824-1906), who would later become an architect. During his childhood, Cels was taught directly by his father, who used numerous sketches made in Italy as a pedagogical resource. Passionate about the landscape genre, Cels continued his training in the studio of Pierre-Jean Hellemans, one of the forerunners of the Belgian Romantic school. In 1847 he undertook a trip to Italy accompanied by his brother, spending several months in Rome before returning to Brussels in 1848.
After his return to Belgium, he participated in the Brussels Salon of 1848. In 1850, he moved to Paris and settled in the cité Odiot, participating in the Parisian Salon with two Brabant landscapes. From then on, he withdrew from the exhibition circuit, although he continued painting and collaborating with his brothers.
Occasionally he collaborated with Eugène Verboeckhoven, who added human and animal figures to the landscapes painted by Cels. In 1849, during the Living Masters exhibition in The Hague, he presented a Brabant landscape co-signed with Verboeckhoven.