Remarkable Paintings
About us
Remarkable Paintings is Christophe Adrians' escape, his share of dreams and contemplation. It is his taste, a free taste, not dictated by fashions. A taste above all for a Belgian, and sometimes Dutch, 19th century that populated the cabinets of amateurs. Paintings with a delicate rendering, often small in size, whose subjects, rich or modest, are pretexts to arouse the pleasure of the eyes and curiosity. This curiosity leads Christophe to unearth works by quality artists who are now forgotten, such as Louis Desprets or Elvire Coisne, or to create sets of artists renowned in the 19th century, such as Louis Voordecker or Eugène Verboeckhoven. Curiosity also leads him, in the extension of this taste for romantic painters, towards the works of this Belgian school of the first third of the 20th century which wanted to remain in the tradition while modernizing itself through the contributions of impressionism or Fauvism.
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Begonia Fields in Drongen (Tronchiennes) – Elvire Coisne (1873 – 1956)
Oil on canvas, 50 x 64 cm Signed lower right: E. Coisne. Retrospective exhibition, February 19-20, 1993, Ghent Born into Ghent's upper-class society, Elvire Coisne exhibited her paintings during the 1890s at the Triennial Salons and the Ghent Artistic Circle. Her marriage in 1899 to a soap manufacturer took her away from the artistic world. The couple would have four children. Elvire Coisne, married to Bondue, painted subjects traditionally assigned to female painters: landscapes, family portraits, and especially flower paintings. These paintings were not sold and therefore remained in the family circle. This rare painting thus testifies to the artist's aesthetic. It depicts a field of begonias in Drongen (Tronchiennes), a wealthy suburb of Ghent. The influence of her mentor, Émile Claus (1849-1924), is clearly evident, whether in the subject matter, the Impressionist touch, the interest in light or the range of pinkish colours. It was through contact with Émile Claus that Elvire Coisne became friends with the painter Jenny Montigny.
Lion’s Head – Eugène Verboeckhoven
Olive tree on the door, 100 cm x 79 cm Herkomst: Antwerp Zoo While Eugène Verboeckhoven is best known for his sheep and cows, he was also passionate about felines. As early as 1824, he traveled to London to draw the lions in the royal menagerie. The following year, he published an album of lithographs of the animals of the lion tamer Martin of Ghent. The painter is even said to have returned to draw in the felines' cage at the tamer's invitation. With Belgian independence, the lion became a national symbol. Verboeckhoven then drew The Belgian Lion Breaking His Chains (MRBAB). He also painted several times in the 1850s lions attacking horses or other felines in Orientalist scenes. This imposing portrait of a lion, with its quiet strength and careful rendering, is typical of Verboeckhoven's animal portraits, and its attribution to the artist is beyond doubt despite the absence of a signature. It is also included without reservation in the IRPA photo library (M106074), in the artist's monograph (Berko, p. 26), and in the catalogue From Rooster to Donkey: Animal Painting in Belgium in the 19th Century (p. 35). Furthermore, it comes under the same name from the art collections of Antwerp Zoo.
Flower Garden in Namur, 1914 – Marie Molitor (1868 – 1938)
Landscape and flower painter Marie Molitor was born in Arlon and spent her youth in Liège. It was there that she trained with the engraver François Maréchal and was a member of the V group, with which she exhibited from 1890. She later settled in Brussels. In 1914, when she painted this picture, exhibition catalogs tell us that she was living in Namur, on Avenue de Salzinnes (now Avenue Reine Elisabeth). It is therefore her garden that she is painting, looking towards the Sambre. The dome of Saint-Aubain Cathedral and the tower of the former collegiate church can be seen emerging from the plants. Painted in a Luminist aesthetic, this painting evokes the art of Juliette Wytsman (1866-1925), of whom Molitor was a disciple. Marie Molitor participated in numerous salons and exhibitions with her paintings, but also, among others, at the Libre Esthétique in 1903 and 1914, with jewelry and bindings of Art Nouveau aesthetic.
The shepherdess and her flock
Bird mirror in Martigues
Martigues, View of the Sainte Madeleine Church – Paul Leduc (1876 – 1943)
Oil on canvas, 60 x 80 cm Signed and dated: Paul Leduc 1919 Originally from La Louvière, Paul Leduc studied at the academies of Mons and Antwerp. Initially, he painted the industrial landscapes of his native region as well as the canals of old Flemish towns, like his teacher Albert Bartsoen (1866-1922). Constantly seeking light, he made numerous trips to the south of France and Italy after the First World War. These stays clarified and enriched his palette. This painting, painted in 1919, demonstrates the luminist style that would bring the artist success during the interwar period. It is a view of Martigues, on the Provençal coast, and more specifically the island district. The view, taken from the Quai Brescon, at the place called Miroir des oiseaux, which inspired Leduc several times, is directed towards the Baroque church of the Madeleine. A fan of river views, Leduc gave the Saint Sébastien canal the lower half of his composition. On the right, we can see the recurring motif of his views of Martigues: the typical boats of the place with their lateen sails.