Maurice de Vries

MAURICE DE VRIES (Netherlands, 1910-1994)
Untitled. 1964.
Oil on tablex.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 70 x 60 cm; 96 x 85 cm (frame).

The work of Maurice de Vries articulates an image of strong symbolic charge through the superposition of architecture, ruin and human gesture. The monumental arch, treated as an eroded and precariously sustained vestige, refers to historical memory and the passage of time, while the intertwined hands in the foreground introduce an intimate and corporal, almost votive dimension.

The restrained palette and the use of glazes reinforce a suspended atmosphere, where the scene seems to be located outside of a specific time, inviting an introspective reading about resistance, faith or the transmission of memory.

Maurice de Vries was a painter born in the Netherlands who developed most of his professional career in Brussels. Stylistically, his production is close to symbolism and surrealism. He participated in the exhibitions of "Les Arts en Europe" in Brussels in 1964 and 1966. Among his titles registered in international auctions and collections are pieces such as "Bouquet fantastique", "Le Christ surréaliste", "Violons fantastiques" and "Femme fleur".