| Belgian neo-impressionist artist Date of Birth: 23.11.1862 Country: Belgium |
Théo van Rysselberghe, a Belgian neo-impressionist and pointillist, was born on November 23, 1862, in Ghent, Belgium. His early artistic education included stints at the Academy of Ghent and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels, where he studied under the orientalist painter Jean-François Portaels.
Portaels's North African-themed paintings sparked a trend for orientalism in Belgium, greatly influencing the young van Rysselberghe. Between 1882 and 1888, he embarked on three trips to Morocco, spending a total of eighteen months there. By 1880, van Rysselberghe's "Self-Portrait with Pipe" reflected the somber tones of Belgian realism, but he soon developed a more personal style, leaning towards impressionism.
In 1882, van Rysselberghe traveled extensively through Spain and Morocco, immersing himself in the works of old masters at the Prado Museum. His female portraits from this trip marked a significant departure in style. Tangier, in particular, opened up a new world for the artist, a place geographically close to Europe but culturally distant.
Upon his return to Belgium, van Rysselberghe presented his Moroccan paintings at the 'Cercle Artistique et Littéraire' in Ghent, gaining immediate recognition. In October 1883, he became one of the founders of the 'Les XX,' a group of young artists who challenged academic conventions.
The exhibition of Monet and Renoir's works at 'Les XX' in 1886 had a profound impact on van Rysselberghe. Experimenting with new techniques, he embraced pointillism, famously depicted in his 1888 portrait of Alice Séthe.
Van Rysselberghe continued to travel, visiting England, Greece, Hungary, Romania, and Russia. Spending extended periods in France, his pointillist technique gradually softened after 1903, and he fully abandoned it after 1910. His brushstrokes became larger, his colors more intense, and he became a master of capturing light and warmth.
Van Rysselberghe's later years were mostly spent on the Côte d'Azur, where he focused on portrait sculpture. He died in France on December 14, 1926, and was buried at the Lavandou cemetery alongside his friend and fellow artist, Henri-Edmond Cross. As one of the leading neo-impressionists, a significant portion of van Rysselberghe's work remains in private collections.