Emile Claus. Prince of Luminism exhibition in Deinze
2024 is a double anniversary year for Belgium's foremost impressionist painter, Emile Claus. He was born 175 years ago and died 100 years ago. The prestigious Emile Claus. Prince of Luminism exhibition will close the festive year.
'The sun sings, and Claus drinks it with his eyes.' You cannot describe any more aptly the style in which the artist paints after his traditionally Flemish naturalistic-realism period. From then on, light has clearly predominated in his work. In 1904, he founded the circle Vie et Lumière ('Life and Light'), the official representative of impressionism in Belgium, and increasingly manifested himself as the leader of the Luminist movement.
The Museum of Deinze and the Leie region (mudel) is therefore aiming to pull off a big event as the apotheosis of the anniversary year. All of the 'sun painter's' masterpieces – no less than 130 – will still be on display until Sunday 26 January 2025. They come from our own collection, various Belgian museums and public institutions, the Musée d'Orsay in Paris and even from private collectors who spontaneously lent their artwork. Among them were some surprises even for experts, which they knew only from black-and-white images in old books.
A unique opportunity to admire Flax Harvesting (1883) from his early period, The Old Gardener (1886-1887), Cows crossing the Lys River (1897-1899), Portrait of Mrs. Emile Claus (± 1900), and so many other gems.