André Cluysenaar

ANDRÉ CLUYSENAAR (Belgium, 1872- 1939).
"Still life of flowers".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 45 x 54 cm; 54 x 63 cm (frame).
In this work, of impressionist heritage, the author leaves aside the descriptive capture of the natural to emphasize the luminosity and the chromatism of the still life, through an almost fauvist palette in some details, that avoids the opaque colors and plays with the juxtaposition of complementary tones.
André Alfred Edmond Cluysenaar, was a Belgian painter known mainly for his portraits and female subjects. Son of Alfred Cluysenaar (1837-1902), a historical painter of great prestige and André's teacher, who first followed in his father's footsteps, dedicating himself to historical painting and later studied with François-Joseph Navez. Initially he worked as a sculptor, but from 1902 he devoted himself entirely to painting. In 1902, André Cluysenaar exhibited a portrait of his wife with their daughter at the Salon de la Société des Beaux-Arts. The success of this painting opened the door to numerous commissions from the Brussels high society. Until the outbreak of war, he remained a much sought-after portraitist in Brussels. Because of his marriage, the whole family easily embarked for England in 1914. During the war, André Cluysenaar painted portraits of many English personalities.
Although at first he remained faithful to the Romantic style, painting still lifes and genre scenes, he later switched to Impressionism and painted mostly female figures, often semi-nude.