Pointillism in Brussels
When one hears the artistic term ‘Pointillism’ or ‘Neo-Impressionism’ a bright image of multi-coloured dots usually comes to mind. I think of Seurat’s La Grande Jatte , which, inspired by the scientific writings of the 19th century is often experienced as the pinnacle of the movement. However, there is a world behind this one immediate notion of the artistic term ‘Pointillism’. Although French and Belgian followers of the brief artistic movement (roughly a fifteen to twenty year period from 1886-1904) used the scientific optic colour theories and the influence of Seurat as a guiding light, many painters in the movement deviated from Seurat’s technique, creating subtleties and traces of their own mark.
The ING Cultural Centre in Brussels is currently holding an exhibition, on until May 2014, (organised by The Indianapolis Museum of Art) entitled, To The Point: The neo-impressionist portrait 1886-1904. As suggested by the title, this exhibition explores in particular the Neo-Impressionist Portrait, sometimes overlooked by the notion of the Neo-Impressionist Landscape. This unique focus sheds light on both a variety of French and Belgian painters and on their personal artistic methods, sometimes lesser known in the stream of art history.
In February 2014 The ING Cultural Centre participated in the recent cultural soirée of Museum Night Fever in Brussels – an evening in which participating museums stayed open late and organised special activities, talks, and social events (as well as free guides!) As a guide for the exhibition at The ING Cultural Centre I was looking forward to brushing up on my Pointillism knowledge and to hopefully speak with enthusiastic museum-goers. I was pleasantly met with not only a ‘brushing up’ of my art historical past but a new invigoration for the movement and the new discoveries of artists perhaps forgotten or overlooked.
One such painter was the Belgian Théo (Théophile) van Rysselberghe. I was responsible for this section of the exhibition and so, first had to make his introduction myself. The main actor in the Belgian branch of Neo-Impressionism, van Rysselberghe painted mainly his circle of artist friends and family. It was through friends, however, that his social circle and his reputation as an artist grew. Soon the artist would be working internationally in Luxembourg and Germany painting unique portraits for the bourgeoisie. As I studied up on the artist I was very intrigued by his output and the subtle stylistic differences to what I had first considered as Pointillism (his free or loose brushwork, for example). It was not, however, until I spent multiple hours in this section of the exhibition that I began to fully appreciate the uniqueness of this special artist.
The first noticeable element for me was the use of Seurat-like dots mixed with longer brush strokes or flicks of the brush and contouring. There was a strong technical application of the paint, together with a careful rendering and softening of colour and form. This variation did not give the artist’s work a feeling of inconsistency, on the contrary, the variation of brushstrokes (lines and dots) worked together as a sort of collage-like “brushstrokes of possibility”. Up close one may see a wide range of variation in the brushwork (and certainly a beautiful and vibrant variation in colour) yet when one steps back, the harmony of the image is undeniable (typically Pointillist). This brought to mind a partner of the visual arts, music, in the way that the full range of notes, when combined together in an organised fashion, can produce the harmonious sound of ‘one’.
In looking further I began to see for myself the inspiration of older Flemish artists, the influence, as was mentioned in the detailed notes provided for the guides by the ING Cultural Centre, of Frans Hals. Van Rysselberghe, unlike other Neo-Impressionists, often rendered the faces of his sitters traditionally. This realist aspect probably contributed to his success as an artist as his portraits maintained a strong likeness to the sitters- commercially, of course, this was a plus. As I peered closer at the portrait of artist friend Henri van de Velde’s wife entitled, Madame van de Velde and her children, I began to notice the strong contoured faces of the girls. This was particularly noticeable around the face of the right side girl, Nele. This method, differing from the afore-mentioned realism, seemed be the influence of the Symbolist movement – so predominant in the work of van Rysselberghe’s poet friend, whom he often painted, Emile Verhaeren (notably in his painting The Lecture). The little girl, the daughter of van de Velde, is clearly staring off into space, deeply absorbed in thought or perhaps simply utterly bored (I prefer the former analysis which I find richer in possibility). What is she thinking of? The painter is not only drawing upon a variety of painterly methods: lines and contours, dots and dashes; he is drawing upon the rich and varied experimentations of art historical movements from Realism to Symbolism to Pointillism.
Van Rysselberghe was known for the psychological dimension given to his works, his courageous deviation from exact dot-by dot Pointillism, and his innovative method of beautifully linking the traditional with the modern in visual arts. In the Neo-Impressionist paintings of van Rysselberghe, the viewer is often given hints of what action may be taking place just beyond the limitations of the canvas. The story of a portrait, in other words, is left incomplete; asking the viewer to imagine and interact with the work. In looking at many of his paintings, thoughts such as, “Who is she looking at?” or “Who is just beyond the viewer’s perception?” flow in my mind.
The background reading, provided by the curators of this exhibition, indeed helped me to notice these details. The hours spent with the paintings allowed me to appreciate the richness of van Rysselberghe’s technique and the beauty of painting itself. Speaking with visitors at the museum gave me the wonderful opportunity to give a voice to these details. The tours in turn inspired questions, which lead to discussion and dialogue in front of these paintings. It is magical to me that whether a work of art is made today or 120 years ago its power can still resonate, its details inspire awe and discussions, and links with both present and past may be made. Endless links are always on the canvas waiting to be illuminated. I am grateful for the opportunity to re-discover this artist, the movement, and to work with this exhibition.
On until the 18th of May, tickets are €6 and can be purchased online here.
ING cultural Centre
Mont des Arts/Place Royale, 6
B-1000 Brussels
