Karel van Belle

KAREL VAN BELLE (Belgium, 1884-1959).
"Maternity", 1933.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 100 x 80 cm; 111 x 91 cm (frame).
Maternity was a common theme in the painting of Karen Van Belle, whose compositions as in this case reflect a clear compositional inspiration of the religious paintings starring the Virgin and Child. This work is a clear example of that influence, featuring a maternal theme, where a mother and child are depicted wrapped in a vaporous atmosphere and symbolist character. The composition, dominated by golden and warm tones, conveys a sense of seclusion and sacredness. In this piece, Van Belle manages to merge the traditional iconography of motherhood with a modern and symbolic language, elevating the scene to a spiritual dimension. The golden light that bathes the figures not only unifies the pictorial ensemble, but also refers to the notion of the eternal, the sacred and the intimate. The singularity of his artistic gaze, deeply linked to the feminine, the dreamlike and the transcendent.
Karel Van Belle began his artistic training at the Académie des Beaux-Arts in his hometown, where he was a student of prominent masters such as Jean-Joseph Delvin and Louis Tytgat. His academic and technical development at that institution allowed him to cultivate a solid foundation in the plastic arts, which was later reflected in the compositional quality and formal delicacy of his work.
Van Belle specialized in painting genre scenes and nudes, characterized by a profound poetic sensibility. His production is distinguished by an exaltation of feminine beauty, often idealized, treated with a symbolic and dreamlike approach. Within the context of European symbolism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Van Belle developed a personal style, imbued with an ethereal atmosphere and a certain melancholy that refers to the intangible and spiritual. His female figures, often wrapped in veils or in unreal landscapes, evoke an inner world full of mystery and contemplation.
In addition to his work in oil, he also cultivated with remarkable skill the technique of watercolor, a discipline in which he demonstrated great subtlety in the treatment of light and color. The combination of both techniques contributed to forge a refined and delicate aesthetic that distinguishes his work within the Belgian symbolist tradition.
In 1913, Van Belle was awarded third prize in painting at the prestigious Prix de Rome competition, a distinction that reaffirmed his talent and allowed him to gain greater visibility in the Belgian art world. His works are part of the permanent collections of institutions such as the museums of Ghent and Tournai.