William Degouve de Nuncques

description

A Belgian artist of French origin, a master of landscape and Symbolist.

He was born into the family of French aristocrats. Since childhood, he was fond of music and painting, but did not receive any professional art education. In 1870, the artist’s family moved to Belgium.

Degouve de Nuncques was a member of the Belgian avant-garde group “Les XX” (“Twenty”) and closely communicated with Symbolist poets. His work was appreciated by his contemporaries; he was admired by such famous personalities as Puvis de Chavannes, Auguste Rodin and Maurice Denis; his landscapes inspired poets and writers, including Maurice Meterlink. Having experienced a deep spiritual crisis, de Nuncques turned to landscape painting, which made him popular with the general public and had a strong influence on the development of modernist movements in painting.

Key ideas:

– Degouve de Nuncques is best known for his landscapes, which are distinguished by their poetry and special atmosphere. He loved to travel and depicted night parks, canals and lakes of Italy, France and Austria.

– The artist often turns to mystical symbols and exciting night visions, using extraordinary light effects in dark landscapes. He created his own concept of Symbolism, combining allegorical images with the appeal to the human subconsciousness. Non-standard interpretation of space, the almost complete absence of people and certain static nature of the paintings create the impression of unreality, sort of immersing in a dream or a fairy tale.

– The paintings of de Nuncques are distinguished by their individuality. They cause a vague feeling of anxiety, make fantasy work and awaken interest in the other world.

– The artist preferred to work with pastels, since soft and tractable material is best suited for painting twilight and fantastic landscapes. Among the author’s works, there are many oil paintings.

– In the last period of his creative career, he concentrated on the depiction of winter nature. The snow-covered landscapes of Degouve de Nuncques attract by their freshness; the artist uses a lighter color gamma, filling the painting with calmness and peacefulness. In such works as “Barges in the Snow” (1911) and “Winter Forest” (1912), the honed skill of the landscape painter and his bright personality are noticeable.

+ Read more

1867

1883

1888

1890

1893

1894

1900 - 1902

1910

1919

1930

1935

The birth of the artist

The artist was born on the 28th of February in 1867 in Montherme, France.

Began to paint

Began to paint. Together with Johannes Toorop rented a studio in Munich.

Became a friend of Belgian artist Henry de Groux

Became a friend of Belgian artist Henry de Groux who had a strong influence on the artist. The following year, de Groux created the famous canvas, “The Mockery of Christ,” in which de Nuncques served as a model for Christ.

For the first time showed his work at an exhibition in Brussels.

Participated in the exhibition of the Belgian avant-garde group "XX"

Participated in the exhibition of the Belgian avant-garde group “XX”, which included the famous masters of Belgium and France. The association contributed to the recognition and development of new trends in art.

He married to Juliette Massin

He married a relative of the Belgian poet Emile Verhaeren, Juliette Massin. He met and became friends with Symbolist poets and was fond of Symbolism.

He traveled a lot

He lived with his wife in Mallorca, where he painted seascapes with orange groves. He traveled a lot, visited Italy, Germany and France.

Suffered a severe spiritual and religious crisis

Suffered a severe spiritual and religious crisis, which reflected in his work. Pictures of this period are distinguished by dark tones and depressive mood.