Lucien Frank

LUCIEN FRANK (Brussels, 1857 - Ixelles, 1920)
"Coastal view".
Oil on canvas.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 76 x 106 cm; 96,5 x 126,5 cm (frame).

The present work shows a peaceful riverside scene, where a pier, a boat and a row of buildings are integrated in a landscape bathed by a soft and diffuse light. The composition is organized in depth by the diagonal of the canal and the alignment of the trees, leading the eye towards the horizon. The loose brushwork and light palette generate a serene and vibrant atmosphere, sensitively capturing the effects of light on water and air.

Lucien Frank trained at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels under the direction of Jean-François Portaels, beginning in portraiture and genre painting before turning to landscape. From the 1880s he developed a language close to impressionism, with special attention to capturing the atmosphere.

His work, focused on urban views, canals and river or coastal landscapes, is part of the renewal of Belgian painting at the end of the century. He is represented in public collections, including the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Brussels).